


Assorted Stucky

by PotatoJesus



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Explicit Language, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-08 16:44:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 111,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1948596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotatoJesus/pseuds/PotatoJesus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just some stories depicting the life of post-CWS Stucky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. There Was Bucky

**Author's Note:**

> So, I decided to upload this here. I have a Fanfiction.net account under the same name if you prefer that site. 
> 
> Warning: I tend to be very silly... So if you're looking for an entirely serious fanfiction, you've come to the wrong place.

The Winter Soldier was a wandering mess, his arm petrified at an odd and excruciating angle, reflecting the jagged pain in his head. He felt like he was coming up against a wall, throwing himself at it pitilessly, in the process destroying what little conscious he had left.

**Rogers.**

**Steve Rogers**.

His mission.

_My friend._

Tantalizing bits and pieces tore through the wall, but how they did so was beyond him. To him it was impenetrable, so each time one passed by he clung to the slips of thoughts, but they drifted between his fingers like sand.  **Dammit, dammit, Rogers. Steve Rogers.**

**Friends.**

**He said to the end of the line…**

**End of the line.**

**End of the line.**

Each time his body reacted on a muscle memory he attempted to dissect it to find the visual memory at the heart of it. Why would his heart tremble, why would his chest squeeze up in such a strange, pleasant manner? What was it, what did it mean to him?

**End of the line.**

**End of the line.**

**What the actual** _ **hell**_   **was at the end of the line?**

_Steve Rogers._

**That spangled idiot was his end of the line?**

There it went, his heart squeezing up the minute "spangled idiot" lept into his mind as the most apt description for the man.

**Steve Rogers is my end of the line, that spangled, starry-eyed, gorgeous smiling bastard-**

Smiling?

He stopped, realizing he'd never seen Steve Rogers smiling.

Then why did he remember a sunny day, a gentle turn to his left, that giant man grinning down at him for one brief moment in time.

_His smile was always so beautiful…_

The Winter Soldier jerked his head back at the strangely amorous tone of his thought, the soft cadence of his voice echoing through distorted time, feeling caustic on his currently rough nature. He paused to think about this.  **Had he… been more than friends with Steve Rogers?**

_No…_

Sadness clung to the one word answer. The meaning behind it was elusive, but yet again his body responded before his mind. He gasped as his chest tightened in an unpleasant, burning sort of way, like it was being pressed downward, crushing his heart. So he hadn't been more than friends, but from the way he reacted, all the little clues led right up to him  _wanting_  to be more than friends.

Then suddenly there was a memory that, though little more than a clip, was so full and beautiful it astounded him. There was a small shirtless man, resembling Steve Rogers, and even though the differences were numerous he  _knew_  it was him. He was trembling slightly and there were bruises up his chest and back, though he tried to hide the pain he was slightly hunched over on a beaten down sofa. He remembered kneeling, at eye level with Steve as he wrapped a bandage around one bleeding arm.

" _Steve, you can't keep relying on garbage cans as shields… You'll give me a heart attack…"_

_Steve laughed it off, "I'm fine, Buck. I had him on the ropes anyway."_

_**No you didn't**_ …  _But even as he thought this Bucky said nothing, too busy trying to control his compulsion to kiss every bruise and wound Steve had gained. There were so many little scrapes and cuts… so many kisses he could give._ _ **No, dammit, control yourself, Barnes.**_

_Those big blue eyes peered into Bucky's frowning visage and dropped to his injured hands sadly, "I-I'm so sorry, Bucky. I just… I just always think that if I keep trying I can do something good… Instead you always come in to save me…"_

_A gentle palm came in contact with Bucky's cheek and he couldn't resist leaning into it, memorizing the touch._ _ **Never forget this touch, never forget this scent…**_   _He chanted to himself in his moment of weakness as he closed his eyes, letting Steve explore the bruise painted below his eye. He had never been happy about someone hitting him, but he blessed the stupid man who had inflicted the wound upon him for this small moment of heaven._

_But it was also torture. Stevie was leaning so close, his fingers absently brushing at his wound, the cool touch so soothing-_ _**Barnes, stop, stop, you can't do this to him, don't give into this, you can't do this to Steve…** _

_Then it was over and Steve dropped his hand so Bucky could continue treating his injuries._

" _Bucky…." He just grunted in assent, unable to vocalize anything, aware that if he spoke his voice would be unnaturally husky, "U-um… I want to thank you…" Bucky frowned in question. "F-for… I mean I have nothing… nothing at all right now. But… but there's always been you, so… Thank you for being the one thing I've ever been able to keep…"_

_If Bucky could have spoken… He swallowed down the words he so desperately wanted to speak, the words that Steve could never hear:_ " _ **I always have and always will be yours to keep. You are my life, Steve Rogers…"**_

The memory was gone, and the Winter Soldier breathed in heavily.

**He needed to see him, needed to find him, couldn't forget…**

He spent the next few days finding food, shelter, and mending his own arm and using a makeshift sling to keep it steady. In the meantime, he looked up Steve on the internet, shocked to find something called "Stucky," and a little more hopeful that maybe regaining his friendship with Steve would be achievable. The day that that was all finished was spent finding clothing to hide his arm and his identity. When that was done, he finally gave into the internal compass tugging at him constantly and followed it to the Smithsonian, where he stared up from under a baseball cap at every single picture of Steve he could find, memorizing it, hoping the process would bring back another beautiful memory of him.

His mouth twitched into a lopsided smile at the display showing Steve's change from a 95 lb irresistible cutie to-

_That delicious man who I had under me just a couple weeks ago._

At that the Winter Soldier's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, "Down, Barnes," he muttered under his breath. He shook off the intrusion of his past self and went forward, finding his own face plastered up on a board. Feeling a churn in his stomach he kept his head down and peaked at the tablet, only to be shocked to see a black and white capture of one of his regained memories.  **That smile…**

_Oh Captain, my captain…_

Squeezing his eyes closed for composure, he tried to hold back from acting on the urge to smirk and say each word with the sarcastic but seductive tone Barnes had just growled with from his past.

**Moving along, Barnes…**

The Winter Soldier spent the rest of the encounter dealing with other such phrases peeking in from beyond his icy grave, little rumbles and ground out sentences of appreciation as clips depicting Steve's strength, courage, and-

_SHIRTLESS! SHIRTLESS PICTURE!_

**Goddamnit, Barnes…**

But the Winter Soldier obliged, pretending to read the text to the side of a particular picture where Rogers was shirtless for...some unknown but delightful reason. When he realized that he was doing this, the Winter Soldier inwardly shook himself and Barnes, deciding it was time to wrap this up. He exited the exhibit, meandered toward the Smithsonian's exit and-

_On your left._

What?

He looked over and wondered how in the hell Barnes had known that there, grinning and talking to a curator, old suit in his arms and a small apologetic smile shyly resting on his mouth, was Steve Rogers.

**Couldn't Barnes do that for anything dangerous? Like the mission where he was in Afghanistan and that one assassin had come out of nowhere-**

**Oh… He remembered that.**

He shook his head and ducked behind his hair. He started moving, but felt like it was through water. Barnes had surfaced more than ever before, his essence molding back into the Winter Soldier, and his very soul cringed at the forced separation from Rogers.

**No. Move Barnes. Move your damned legs. One, fucking, Two, fucking, Three, out the goddamned door-** Each curse falling on an extra internal push to get himself away from Steve. This was getting ridiculous. He was actually out of breath by the time he'd counted the stairs he had to go down. He sat on a bench, an itch on his back telling him how dangerous this was. But Barnes was insatiable, he wanted to try for one more glimpse of Steve…  **Just one more. The real thing this time.**

When Steve came out, the Winter Soldier could see how quickly the wounds had healed, but a bruise still settled under his eye, a scarring over the left side of his mouth where stitches had been. Guilt made him feel like retching, but he held it back, focusing on Steve. With bated breath, he and Barnes watched the man practically glide down the stairs on the pure aura of masculinity and confidence he exuded. His lips parted on a breath when Steve smiled over somewhere and waved-

_Who the fuck to?_

Barnes's anger was reflected quickly by the Winter Soldier when he saw that damned winged pilot, waving from a car.

_Oh, Hell no._

Before he could stop himself, the two halves of Bucky were up and striding toward Steve in united fury. The Winter Soldier grabbed Steve harshly by the hand with his own metal one and tugged him away, not even turning his head to acknowledge the man who probably thought himself Steve's partner.

_I'M his partner, dammit. He's MINE._

"B-Bucky!?" Steve gasped, luckily having noticed who his assailant was before reacting with violence. "Bucky, what are you doing here? Are you okay? Is your arm still hurt?"

_Always so caring… Never stops to think about himself. You could be here to kill him and he's just worried about your health._

His heart felt constrained, his eyes stinging.

**He's ours.**  The Winter Soldier ground out in his mind.  **Ours.**

_Damn right he's ours._

The Winter Soldier finally stopped beside a tree, hoping that the stupid bird man would come over eventually so he could punch him in the gut for every time he was there for Steve when Bucky couldn't be. He turned to Steve, but bit his tongue when he realized he was about to growl "Mine." He figured that wouldn't be a very good way to start this...

"B-Bucky," The hand that wasn't restrained by the Winter Soldier's left one reached out to touch his injured arm, "Oh, Bucky, I'm so sorry… Is there anything I can do…? Oh, God, you've got a cut right here on your cheek." That soft hand hadn't changed, nor did Bucky's reaction when it skimmed the small wound under his eye. His features relaxed, eyelids fluttered, leaning into the touch.

_**Steve…** _

He let out a low rumble in his chest that caused Steve's eyes to widen, "Bucky… Hey, it's okay, I'm here- Woah!"

Bucky didn't care.

He didn't care that tears were flowing from his eyes and dampening Steve's neck, he didn't care that his injured arm was awkwardly crushed between him and Steve as he pulled him far too tightly into a hug, he didn't care that he was still having memory issues, and he didn't care that he wasn't fully James Buchanan Barnes or The Winter Soldier.

All that mattered was that Steve was here.

All that mattered was that Steve had kept him.

All that mattered was that in that moment, he was Bucky.

 


	2. Settling in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is kind of a silly chapter, but I was just having a little fun to avoid studying for exams, so bear with me XD

Winter wandered sullenly from Captain America's level in the Avenger's tower. He opened the elevator and punched a random button, one with an insignia of an archer. He didn't care where he was going to or who he would find, all that mattered was escaping Steve, Sam, and Natasha.

It had been only a week since Steve had taken him under his roof in Stark's tower, offering him a home. With Barnes' hope, he had assumed that this place would in fact be a home. He had acknowledged that he didn't remember what home meant, or what it felt like to have one, but he had felt excitement at the idea of rediscovering these things.

He had been so sure because Barnes had told him,  _Home is where Steve is._

But now…

He shook his head as the doors of the elevator opened and he stepped out into a dimly lit room. It seemed cozy… the word "nest" came to mind when he took in his surroundings. He walked right through it to the hallway that would lead him to the specialized exercise area for each level. Inside he found what appeared to be a dark room meant for practice with long-ranged weaponry. He had heard a lot from the Black Widow about an archer named Clint… this must be his lair.

He looked around and saw elevated crags and niches all along the walls and areas similar to alcoves where snipers could hide. It was in one of these that he spotted a darkened figure, slumped against the indented wall. A bow hung listlessly from his hand and his head was tilted sadly down toward the ground. Winter was almost certain that his presence was known, but the figure really didn't seem to care.

Barnes took over and climbed carefully up to the alcove where the figure rested, his injured arm making the effort much harder than it should have been. When he reached the top, he lifted himself beside the figure and sat back, staying quiet for a while before asking, "Who are you?"

"An assassin dying of a broken heart… It seems to be a new breed of people that's just popping out of nowhere, wouldn't you say?"

Winter actually found this amusing and snorted, "I would agree."

Clint smiled and nodded, "Who's killing you?"

His defenses hurled back up and he glared over at the man, "Why should I answer first?"

"My apologies. I'm used to people knowing immediately and giving me pity glances constantly… It's Natasha…" He smiled at the name, even though Winter could tell it burned him inside. "Not like it's a secret or anything… So what about you, big guy? Who's your girl?"

Winter looked down and fumbled with his metal hand nervously, somewhere within him Barnes still feared persecution for his feelings.

"..." Clint tilted his head, "Or… boy?" At this Winter flushed and looked at him with shock, uncertain how he knew that was the source of the issue. "Hey, chill. I know back then was bad, but you know, it's fine now… If it's a guy, I'm just going to take a shot in the dark and say it's Steve."

Winter closed his eyes and let his head fall back, a man he didn't even know had just found out something Barnes had hid his entire life…

_You are the worst sort of assassin. Aren't you supposed to be good at hiding things and lying?_

**Shut up, Barnes… I'm getting really sick and tired of your shit.**

"It's always Steve," Clint snorted, "Yeah, how the hell do I compete with him ever… At least you have a shot with him, Natasha's in a whole other league than I could ever compete in."

"I have a shot with Steve?" Barnes came to the fore-front. "I have a- I am an assassin, who was manipulated for years and brainwashed and used, I am unclean and defiled and-" He shook his head, "I have nothing good in me left, whereas Steve is Captain-"

"-Fucking America. I know. The paramount of goodness and morality." Clint nodded with a sigh, "I know…"

They sat in silence before Winter muttered, "And besides, Steve doesn't...like guys. He likes dames. So at least you would be...considered, if nothing else. I'm just his friend, and not even that, I'm a friend from the past who's been wiped. He sees Barnes, not...me. I… Now I'm not even his best friend. His friends are the ghost of who I was and that  _Sam_  guy. I mean, way to go, find some other really moral, upright citizen to be friends with just to replace me…" Clint raised his eyes at this and Winter snorted, "Not that I'm bitter or anything."

Clint smiled, "Oh, well, obviously."

Both men chuckled before their laughter dropped off morosely and they stared at the ground.

"So you couldn't handle being near those three anymore?"

"No, not when they all smile at each other like that but treat me like…" he shook his head once more, "I don't feel right there."

Clint nodded, "You can always hide out in here, I can tell Tony, he'll keep quiet about it. I'll just tell him you'll snap if you don't get away from Cap every now and then. He understands…"

"That would actually be great."

"You want me to call him up then go watch some TV or something and mope about like the heart-broken idiots that we are? I can get us ice cream and maybe find us some old pajamas to get our snacks all over and not give a shit about."

"...Are you referencing something?"

"It's a stereotype for girls who just got dumped. Typically the mourning cycle is letting your hair go, staying at home all day watching romantic comedies and yelling and/or booing at the people in love, staying in the same sleeping clothes for the entire process, and, of course, ice cream bingeing is a must have."

"..." Barnes and Winter considered this. Winter did feel...comfortable here. It wasn't a home, definitely, but he didn't feel like what would be home was dangling just out of his reach and torturing him. Barnes was glad he'd found someone who understood him and actually treated him as if he wasn't going to break down any second. "Yeah. Yeah that sounds good."

"Cool, you need help getting dow- Oh, okay, I guess Winter is gonna be Mr. Independent today." Clint rolled his eyes as Bucky began to descend on his own. On his way down, Clint opened up the mic connection with Tony and explained the situation. Bucky was hurt to know that no, Steve hadn't noticed his absence yet, though he knew that when he'd left all three had assumed he'd been sulking in his room while they all roared with laughter at some stupid TV show... which had made his insides twist to know he couldn't join them without them quieting down and shooting worried glances in his direction.

He was surprised when Clint actually delivered on the 'old pjs' offer and handed him a larger set from his wardrobe. Winter shrugged, saying it was his new 'mission outfit' for the night and changed. When he exited the bathroom, Clint had changed as well. Soon, Bruce entered with a bunch of gallon ice cream containers of various flavors he had never heard of. Apparently, Bruce was lonely as well, with his last dame bailing on him because of the Hulk.

They spent the first 10 minutes of their time figuring out which flavor Bucky liked best. He settled on Mint Chocolate Chip, because it's smell reminded him of Steve's breath... _bastard always had to have his breath smell minty fresh._

**Still does…**

The next couple of hours was spent introducing the genre of Romantic Comedies to Bucky. They all laughed, pouted, raged (in a very controlled manner since they all had a dangerous rage issue of some kind), and even teared up in a collective manner of loneliness. They got called by Tony once to inform them that Steve, Nat, and Sam were 'freaking out' and running all over the building. It took another hour for it to occur to the three that Tony was completely relaxed about the entire situation and that Clint and Bruce had enacted radio silence. They proceeded to burst into Bruce's level and scout the entire place before going to Hawkeye's, where they walked in on the three men laughing themselves to tears over "Mean Girls."

Nat just slowly raised her phone behind Sam and Steve, snapping a couple quick photos before hiding it in her pocket to post about later. Sam and Steve, however, stood in shocked silence long enough to watch the scene with the trust falls before they'd had enough and Sam knocked on the wall to gain the three men's attention. They all turned and glared them down.

"Oh, it's those people." Bruce growled.

"We don't want your kind here." Clint snarled.

"Being all righteous and whatnot." Bucky sneered.

"It's despicable." Clint shook his head.

"Down right disgusting." Bruce nodded emphatically.

"Get out!" All three shouted at once.

By force of habit, Steve, Sam, and Nat fled. Once outside, they paused to consider what had just occurred. They came up with no solid reason, so for the rest of the night Steve sulked, realizing that he had been unable this entire time to get Bucky to laugh like he'd just seen him do with Clint and Bruce.

He let Nat and Sam do as they wished and went to his room to sit and ponder ways to make Bucky laugh. He remembered what Bucky was wearing and wondered why he had never felt comfortable enough near him in normal clothing, instead, he was always wearing the same outfit Hydra had given him. Steve frowned. Did Bucky not trust him? Did he not feel comfortable around him?

They had yelled at him for being 'righteous and whatnot...' had he made Bucky feel guilty about his past?

… When Winter returned at 4 AM the next day, feeling more relaxed than he had in a while, he walked into the Captain's level to find the living room at a dim lighting reflecting that of Clint's, with Steve sitting shyly in a chair.

"Hey…" Steve whispered, barely heard through the silence.

"What are you doing up? Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Steve blinked, Bucky was being more talkative than he had all week. Just this morning all he was getting from him were affirmative or non-committal noises and shrugs. He decided to take advantage of it, "No… I just… I wanted to be here when you came home."

Winter snorted, rolling his eyes, "Oh, yeah. That's right. Waiting for James to come home," he walked back to his bedroom, still wearing the pjs Clint had given him, already itching to put his combat clothes back on, "Bet you did that a lot."

"U-um, Bucky, wait!" Steve had begun to get closer but when Winter turned to glare at him he paused a few feet from him, "You know you can wear whatever you want here, right…?"

"Yes." Winter began to move but Steve interrupted again.

"Do you not feel comfortable here…?"

"No." Bucky said.

Barnes shuddered on the inside to admit it, but it really hurt him the way Steve had acted around him and Winter. They weren't one in the same anymore, every now and then they could be Bucky, but it would never be the Bucky that Steve had known…

Steve actually flinched and Bucky stilled when he heard the lump in Steve's throat, "O-oh… Okay… Um…" Steve looked away and down, crossing his arms awkwardly and shifting a bit, trying to compose himself. "Maybe I could… I don't know… I don't know what you need, Buck…"

It tore at Bucky's heart to hear this, but he knew he couldn't tell Steve that it was because he treated him as the old Bucky, because then he would have to hear how it would just take time to remember who he was and then it would be alright...but it didn't matter. Winter could never be erased, whatever came out of Barnes and Winter's final melding together wouldn't be the old Bucky, and both were afraid that when Steve realized that he would leave them forever.

"Please tell me what you need…"

"..." Bucky just shrugged, "You, I guess." And he walked into his room. He didn't lock the door because he figured closing it would be enough to keep the always-respectful Steve out, but he forgot one important thing as he began to change: when it came to him, if Steve was worried, then respect be damned he was going to occupy the same space as him.

The door flung open and Steve grabbed the shirt he was trying to remove, pulling it back down over his head. When Bucky gave him a confused look, Steve blushed and rubbed the back of his neck "Uh...I... I want you to wear pjs...If you...want..."

Bucky tried to hold back a smile, "Really? Because it seems like you  _really_  want me to wear pajamas. It might be just a crazy idea, but my super-soldier senses began to tingle when you practically broke my door down to redress me."

Steve laughed at that nervously and it made Bucky smile. This was Steve... If only he always acted so normally with him... "S-sorry Buck..."

Bucky shrugged, "I'm sorry. I just feel more comfortable in these," He lifted the combat clothes in his arms.

"May I ask why?"

Bucky frowned, sighing, "I just don't want you to forget who I am."

"Buck…" Bucky removed his shirt quickly so Steve couldn't argue, but in the process moved his arm just the wrong way, making him hiss in a breath. Steve immediately had him sit down and worried over him, despite Bucky's protests. "Shh, let me take care of you." At those words Bucky quieted, his heart beating loudly in his ears, hoping his long hair was covering his blush while Steve checked to make sure his arm was fine. Once Steve was satisfied, he patted Bucky's knee, "You know, you really ought to be more careful."

Winter just grunted in response.

Steve lowered his eyes sadly, wondering what he could possibly do to make Bucky comfortable in his home… He bit his lip, willing to try something, "You know… I've been getting a lot of book recommendations… maybe we could read them together."

_Yes! Let Steve read to you, he always had the best reading voice!_

**Really?**

_Of course!_

Winter looked with shy embarrassment to Steve, his puppy-dog gaze barely visible through his curtain of hair, "Y-you'll read to me..?"

"Oh, well I was thinking we would read it separately-" when Steve noticed that Bucky had ducked his head sadly, he amended quickly, "But I can always read to you, if you want!"

Bucky looked to him for a few seconds before a small smile tipped the corner of his mouth, "What did you want to read?"

"Um… Let's see…" Steve searched for his book and found it in his pant's pocket, flipping it open. He shifted closer so Bucky could see, in the process making the poor man flush with his close proximity, "So here's my list of books, see if you find any of these titles interesting."

"Why is Game of Thrones underlined?"

"I was told to read that series by at least 10 people."

_Series, pick the series!_ "...We could start with that."

"Would you like that?"

"Yeah, yeah I would."

* * *

_C'mon Winter, you're an assassin, top of the line, you should be able to stay awake._

**But his voice is so soothing…**

Steve and Bucky were sitting near each other on the couch, while Steve read aloud from the first Game of Thrones book. Not that Bucky wasn't interested, but after an hour of listening to Steve's gentle cadence he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

_What if he stops reading?_

**I know, I know… I'm trying.**

He shifted down on the sofa, putting his feet up on Steve's coffee table to relax more. Steve paused to look at him but Bucky waved him on before he could notice his heavily lidded eyes. It was only a few minutes more before Steve paused at the feeling of something heavy settling into his shoulder. He peaked down and saw Bucky, arms crossed, eyes closed, breathing peacefully.

He almost shook his friend awake when he realized Bucky had a small smile on his lips.

Steve felt his heart skip a beat and sat back carefully to make Bucky more comfortable, setting his book aside slowly so as not to wake his friend. He listened to the sounds of the Tower and the city outside for a while, his own eyes drooping eventually.

Finally he gave in and rested his head against Bucky's, his last thought being that Bucky's hair was really very soft…

* * *

Nat dragged Clint with her through the elevator doors, "It's fine, Clint, I was just thinking we could all order breakfast together and watch-" She paused, a smile creeping over her face. "Oh, now this is just too cute."

She slipped her phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture of Steve and Bucky cuddling on the couch. "Nat, why did you do that?" Clint frowned at her, knowing Bucky probably wouldn't appreciate it.

"Because I ship them." He noticed she was posting it to her twitter.

"I don't know what that means, but give me that now." He opened his palm for the phone.

"It means I want them to be together, they're adorable, just look at that. They're like two puppies in love." She gestured to them, and on cue Bucky frowned in his sleep and sniffled, causing Steve to frown and shift a bit, nuzzling Bucky gently till he calmed down. "Oh my god…" she clapped a hand over her heart a high pitch noise began to emanate from her throat, "They are so cute I think I might explode!"

Clint's mouth hung open for a couple seconds before he shook his head, finally registering what this all meant.

So Nat  _didn't_  love Steve. So she "shipped" Steve and Bucky.

He was entirely fine with that.

He pulled out his phone and nudged her shoulder, "That isn't your usual twitter account, can you give me the name so I can follow you?"

"Why?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"Because- Well let's just say I have something to tell you about Bucky later, but right now, show me your twitter."

"Okay, here's my name. This had better be good."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll love it… Where did you get a picture of them hugging? I didn't know you were at the Smithsonian that day."

"I wasn't, that was a Stucky fan."

"Stucky?"

"Steve/Bucky. Stucky."

"...Wow."

"I know, it's adorable, right?"

"Sure."

* * *

Bucky was walking into the Avenger's main room, a giant open space with lots of seats strewn about with tables interspersing them. It seemed comfortable for the heroes, but he felt like he had entered an obstacle course. He had just gotten settled into a chair when he caught sight of Natasha jumping up and down in front of Clint waving her arms like a maniac. If it weren't for the grin plastered to her face he would have been worried that she was having some sort of seizure.

She began to…

_What in the hell is that sound?_

**Is… Is she squeeing?**

_I believe she is. How odd… Oh dear god, why is she running this way!?_

**Should I defend myself?**

_It doesn't look violent…_

It was then that a confused Bucky was tackled in a bear hug with Nat giggling happily, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it's too cute!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He tried to wriggle away and extricate himself, finally gaining freedom when she jumped back to clap joyfully.

"Clint, Clint just told me about-"

"Natasha!" Clint snapped at her right as Steve entered the room.

"I heard someone cry out, is everything okay in here?" Steve had his shield on, ready to take down the invisible assailant.

"No, everything is perfect!" Natasha jumped up and down twice before clearing her throat and gaining control, dusting her legs off awkwardly as if everything were normal, "I mean, everything is ship-shape in here, Cap." She giggled at her own joke.

Steve gave her an odd look before turning to leave. Once he was gone, Bucky asked, "What did Clint tell you?"

"About you and-" She leaned in conspiratorially, grinning like a mad-man, "You're 'dame.' I think it's adorable!"

Bucky went white as a sheet, then beet red, then paled once more before deciding on flushing once again. "W-what?! Clint, why would you- Wait, you support- Wait, I mean, not that I like him- I honestly don't- Wait! I didn't mean him! I don't like Steve that way, not that you ever- or I ever- said Steve-" He stuttered his way incoherently through this miniature crises, "Look, why are you making that  _sound?!"_

Natasha was squeeing, her hands waving frantically, "I'm sorry, it's just so perfect, the Captain and his Soldier! It's like a dream come true!"

"I-It's not like it's something that's happening!"

"But you want it to happen, and I bet Steve does too! Oh there will be a wedding, and cake, and children-"

"Children!? Marriage?!" Bucky was actually beginning to have a heart attack because within him Winter was simply stunned while Barnes was leaping for joy, and neither were entirely certain that they should hope for such a thing to occur.

"Christ, Nat! You're killing the man!"

"Oh, don't worry! It will all work out!"

"How do two men have children? I don't even know how one would- You don't have men giving birth to children now-a-days, do you?" He began to panic, "What if I have to be the one bearing the child?!"

At this Clint and Natasha broke down laughing.

"It's not funny! I'm legitimately concerned! I think I have a right to know!"

At the shouts and laughter that ensued for 10 straight minutes, Steve entered once more, "What is going on in here?"

At this point, Bucky had been shown a Stucky story with an "MPreg" warning and was panicking, "STEVE, I'M GOING TO BE PREGNANT."

Steve just let his mouth drop for a second before he took in Clint leaning against the counter laughing and Natasha practically laying on the floor in a hysterical fit before realizing that whatever was going on was a cruel trick, "Buck, you're not gonna be pregnant."

"BUT THEY SAID I'M GOING TO HAVE CHILDREN!"

"Bucky… You can have children and not birth them yourself…" Steve was beginning to worry about what the cryofreeze and repeated mind-wipes had done to Bucky's brain.

"BUT- BUT NAT SHOWED ME THIS! SHE SAID IT WAS A REAL THING NOW."

"What?" Steve began to walk towards them

"N-No, gimme that!" Natasha laughingly snatched her phone back, "I was joking, Bucky, you can't get pregnant."

"R-really?" He began to calm down, "Oh, thank god." He slumped into the couch, ignoring Clint's cackling from the other side of the room.

"What is wrong with you two? What did you show him?" Steve lurched forward trying to get to Natasha's phone but she shut it off.

"Nothing! It was just a harmless joke, relax." She smiled and pocketed her phone, "I'm going to have so much fun with you two!"

Steve had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

What in God's name did she have in store for them?

 


	3. OverBearing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a little bit in here about Bucky Bear. I have a one-shot story about that that I sort of referenced (it actually is called Bucky Bear). The only reason I didn't put it under Assorted Stucky is that it didn't fit into the plot the way I wanted it to go. So feel free to go look at my other story if you're in the mood for some more Bucky Bear fluff.
> 
> And yes, the name of this chapter is a pun, I felt like being a little silly today XD
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The Winter Soldier locked the door to his bedroom and slowly opened his window.

_I cannot believe I'm doing this._

**Thank you for stating the obvious, Barnes.**

He slipped out and looked down the edge of the Avenger's Tower before looking up towards the top. Captain's level was almost the very middle, meaning neither way was the shortest. He hadn't even decided which way to go yet, or where to, but he  _had_  to leave.

_Talk to Tony._

That seemed like a decent place to start. So the Winter Soldier swung out the rest of the way, closing his window slowly, and beginning to ascend the tower without any climbing gear. Not the safest thing to do, but also the only thing he could do.

Ever since he'd told Steve that he needed him, Steve had taken it upon himself to be with Bucky at all hours of the day. Not that Bucky was complaining, but he now understood how smaller Steve felt all those times he sat on their couch, black and blue chin raised defiantly as he told him over and over again that he could take care of himself.

The feeling was something like this:

a) You knew that you couldn't take care of yourself without them, which really pisses you off.

b) You aren't just weaker than them, you're lower than them on every scale known to man by numbers too large to count.

c) You desperately want to be better so that you can at least pretend to yourself you're their equal, that you're worthy of their company, but you can't if they don't stop protecting you like this.

He felt like, with Steve, he couldn't ease up and come to terms with the Winter Soldier part of himself, and without taking care of that side of him, he was never going to reach a point where he could make himself worthy of Steve…

Bucky paused in his thoughts to make a jump up towards a ledge, his fear of heights killed long ago, but still his stomach dropped because he momentarily thought of what Steve would feel if he fell...again.

He shook his head and continued his ascent.

He was losing himself in the process of climbing when he noticed red and gold flash to his right and he looked over to see Iron Man approaching. "Oh, I see you're performing the Russian Exercise of 'get stronger or die trying...' Oh wait, that's all your exercises."

The Winter Soldier grunted in laughter and went back to climbing.

"Hey, you do realize Steve is going to turn on the cameras and find you."

"Well… get Jarvis to loop them. Please."

"Trouble in paradise, Snowflake?"

"..." He just kept climbing.

Suddenly a metal arm gripped his waist, "Alright, up we go!"

He barely stopped himself from attacking Tony mid-air, instead, he let himself be picked up and flown to Tony's private home at the top of the tower. They landed and he watched, fascinated, as the tower came out to remove Tony's suit as he walked along a designated pathway. Bucky rushed after him once the short man reached the end and waved him over, not wanting to have the machinery react to his arm…

"It's not gonna eat you, Sub-Zero, now get your ass in here so we can talk."

Winter ducked his head, feeling a little shy.

Barnes had always felt shy around Howard, because not only was he incredibly intelligent, he was also funny and lovable. It was a primitive nod for him to show deference to

the men in their presence. He knew that they were on a higher level than him, one that, again, he could never reach. And after the time jump, he'd only gotten lower as they'd gotten higher.

He could only hope someday… someday he'd be good enough for the Captain.

_No one is worthy of Steve…_

Winter nodded his head to affirm Barnes statement when he noticed Tony was staring at him over a new glass of bourbon. "Having a conversation with yourself, Snowflake?"

**How does he know?**

_He's Howard's, after all…_

"It's not like I'm psychic, don't worry. I just had Jarvis take some scans of your brain...I sort of put some chemicals in your food so that certain molecules were radioactively marked-"

Immediately Barnes and Winter were lost.

"Well, lets just say I took a scan of your brain. Even when you're silent your mind is on overdrive. The parts of your brain where nostalgia and love are go off separately from your analytical and fight-or-flight centers. Your brain shows signs in between their activity of holding a conversation with someone separate, and that's how these two parts of you are connecting. I'm guessing that the old you is the touchy-feely one and you're the analytical one?"

_**What the fuck did he just say…?** _

"You...do know that there are separate parts of your brain where most of the work that produces certain feelings and actions are centered? I mean, my work with Banner on this type of thing is far beyond that any of the published works talk about, but… No? You don't? Okay, well, how would you like a mini-science lesson?"

"May we talk about Steve first…?"

"Oh, rightrightright… Yeah, sure. Sit down, Snowflake, let's talk about your boy problems. You want me to braid your hair too?"

Winter frowned at him, self-consciously touching his hair, "Why would you do that?"

"Standard procedure for relationship heart-to-hearts." The two sat down near each other, "You know criss-cross applesauce?"

Winter hesitantly nodded. As he complied with Tony's gesture to get into that position, he remembered something fondly.

_Steve, tiny and frail, no more than a kindergartener, looked at him shyly from behind a big teddy bear that he held close. The other kids had been laughing at him, and tears were threatening to spill over onto his sallow cheeks._

" _Hey," James said, easing beside him onto a chair, "What's wrong?"_

" _They…" Steve sniffled, hiding his face in his teddy bear._

" _They what?"_

" _They said I was weak… and sickly… that they didn't want to be near me because they didn't want to catch anything."_

_James frowned, "My momma said you weren't cont...conta…."_

" _Contagious?"_

" _Yeah! That's the word!" James smiled brilliantly down at Steve, the small boy looking up at him in awe, having never been smiled at like that before. "Hey, come work with me today."_

" _Y-you want me...to spend time with you?"_

" _Of course! We can be friends!" James wrapped an arm carefully around Steve's shoulders, pulling him close to his chest and ruffling his well kept hair, "Don't friends spend time together?"_

_Steve's tears were now on his cheeks, and James felt a sinking feeling of guilt, wanting to wipe them all away. "So, um… you're name is James, right?"_

" _Yeah, but that's what my momma calls me. You can call me something else."_

" _Well… what's your full name?"_

_James puffed his chest out proudly as he recited his full name, making Steve have to bite his lip not to laugh at the taller boy, "James Buchanan Barnes!"_

" _I really like that name…"_

" _Aw...thanks…" James awkwardly rubbed at his neck, feeling shy now._

_Steve looked down in contemplation, then back up suddenly, "Um… can I call you Bucky?"_

" _Bucky?" James thought it sounded like the dumbest-_

" _For Buchanan… since it's so long, I thought I would shorten it...Is...Is that okay?" Steve's eyes were so big, searching for approval._

_James grinned, pulling Steve into another hug, "Bucky sounds perfect."_

" _Children! In the next five minutes I want you over here to sit in a circle…" Their teacher's voice called over the classroom_

_James pouted._

" _What's wrong, Jam- I mean, Bucky?"_

" _Oh...I just don't like sitting at circle…"_

" _Why?"_

" _I can't sit the way they want me too."_

" _...I can try and teach you."_

_James looked at Steve shyly for a moment, before nodding. The two sat down on the ground and Steve folded his little legs, "My ma always told me 'criss-cross applesauce,' you put one leg here and one leg here."_

_James tried and failed, his coordination a little off still._

" _No, here," Steve reached out and pulled James's legs into position. "There! See, you can do it!" Steve smiled up at him, and James felt something in his chest scramble._

_It felt like his heart was beating louder and more irregularly._

" _Bucky, what's wrong?"_

_Bucky smiled, pulling Steve into a hug, "I just want you to always be my best friend!"_

" _Wh-What?" Steve looked up at him. Today he had gained his first friend, and now that person wanted to be his best friend?_

" _Yeah, I want you to be my best friend always, to the end of the line!"_

_Steve was crying again, and Bucky frowned._

" _Stevie, are you okay?"_

" _Yeah...I'm just happy." He hugged Bucky tightly, and even as a small child, Bucky noticed that Steve's teddy bear lay on the ground to the side now, Steve's arms now wrapped around Bucky for comfort._

_Bucky's heart beat erratically again._

Winter smiled at the memory,  **So I was in love with him from the very start…**

Then he suddenly realized that fingers were running through his hair and he stilled.

"Oh, back on earth, Snowflake?" Tony's voice came from behind him, "You seemed a little lost in the past, so I took the liberty of...well, nothing. I'm just playing with your hair a bit, no worries. So what were you remembering?"

"The first time I met Steve."

"Is that why you were smiling all lovey-dovey like an idiot?"

Bucky blushed, "Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too!"

"You're a child."

"You're a child!" Tony mimicked in a high pitched voice, meant to mock.

"Mr. Stark, Ms. Snowflake-" Bucky rolled his eyes at Jarvis's term for him, "It would appear that Mr. Rogers is panicking. Perhaps I should send him back to his room and Ms. Snowflake to go see him?"

"Sounds good, Jarvis, thanks!" Tony quickened the pace of whatever he was doing to Bucky's hair and when he was finished he patted Bucky's shoulder, "Good talk, Snowflake. Now go get the Capsicle before he has an aneurism. He's too old for this kind of thing."

Bucky nodded and took the elevator to the Captain's level, where he found Steve rushing back in forth in what appeared to be super-human pacing abilities. "Steve?" Bucky called out, making Steve jump from his thoughts.

"Oh, Bucky, thank God." It was mere seconds before Steve was across the room and in his arms, "I was so worried."

"You don't have to be."

"I know...I just...I can't help it. I saw you went out the window…and I was afraid...what if you fell again-"

Bucky punched his side lightly, "I'm not helpless, you know."

Steve straightened up, smiling sheepishly, "Yeah, I know… I just...like I said I just can't help it when it comes to you."

"Hey," Bucky pulled him into a familiar side hug, ruffling his hair, "And I just want you to always be my best friend."

Steve stiffened, "You… remember that?"

"Yeah, just did. You know, you used to be so adorable with that teddy bear, what happened to it?"

"I lost it when I was sick that year… You actually… you actually took his place, kinda. Became my Bucky Bear."

"Bucky Bear?" Bucky ruffled Steve's hair for good measure, "You didn't call me that in public, did you?"

"No, I didn't. Just when you'd keep me warm."

**Wish I could remember that…**

"Uh...Buck?"

"Yeah, Steve?" Bucky looked down at him, worried he'd done something wrong.

"Why, uh… Why is your hair pulled back in princess braids? If you don't mind me asking."

Bucky pulled his right arm up to touch his hair, feeling the braids, "Oh, Tony did that. Said it was the standard procedure for heart-to-heart talks."

Steve frowned, raising himself up to full height, seeming pissed, "What did you have a heart-to-heart with Tony about? You know you can always come to see me…"

"Well, it was about you."

"About me…?"

"Yeah…" Bucky shrugged, "Just… you've been kinda… I don't know...attached to my side...lately… I guess…" He slowed down his words as he watched Steve's face fall further and further into sorrow.

"Oh. I just...I thought you said you needed me…"

"I do… I just don't need your protection, that's all. I'm not a china doll."

"Can I still… spend time with you?"

"Of course!" Bucky nudged Steve's shoulder, "Don't friends spend time together? Especially best friends-" Suddenly Winter caught his mistake and looked to the side, "I mean...friends...I… If we're still...best… friends..."

**Dammit…**

He felt so embarrassed that the only logical course was to retreat as far away as possible. He didn't even realize he was moving away, too focused on how painfully red his blush was becoming, when two arms wrapped around him in a bear hug.

"Of course we're best friends…" Suddenly a hitch in breathing entered Steve's voice, like a lump was in his throat, "You're my Bucky Bear."

"Stevie…" Bucky felt a lump in his throat as well, turning around to pull Steve into a tight hug.

Somehow they made it to a couch, where they just snuggled the rest of the evening away, like when Steve was little and sick, chest sore from coughing.

Bucky frowned, a memory coming back.

_Steve, much older now, but still frail, fell to his knees, coughing deeply._

" _Shit, Steve!" Bucky ran into the room, grabbing the smaller man and pulling him into his arms. "This hasn't happened in a while…" He muttered to himself, maneuvering the two of them to the couch. "Hold on, buddy, I got'cha."_

_Steve's coughing calmed slightly when Bucky lay back, pulling Steve's back to his chest, legs spread so Steve could lie comfortably in between them. Bucky held Steve like this till he stopped coughing, and he wheezed out, "I feel like your dame, Buck…"_

_Bucky smiled, if only Steve knew how much he wished that were true… "Yeah, well whatever gets you through this… How's your chest?"_

" _Fine."_

" _Stevie…"_

" _Okay… Like a train crashed into it."_

_Bucky frowned, moving his hand up Steve's shirt. It had been a while, so Steve stiffened at first before relaxing. Bucky just rubbed small circles into Steve's chest, trying to ease the pain. They lay there like this for a couple hours, Bucky holding Steve through fits of coughing, rubbing his chest in between to make the pain go away, and Steve clutching at him throughout the whole ordeal._

_At the end of it, Steve's breathing slipped into that of sleep, and he muttered with a the small slur of dreaming, "Bucky Bear…"_

Bucky woke from his dreams, not realize he'd lulled himself into a sort of trance. He blinked a bit and found himself meeting Steve's gaze. At first he wondered what was going on when he realized he'd had his hand up Steve's shirt, rubbing it in small circles. He blushed and tried to move his hand, but Steve caught it, "No… I like it." He closed his eyes and lay back into Bucky's embrace, "Please don't stop, Bucky Bear."

Bucky's heart leapt and he felt like his soul had extended out of his body he was so elated.

* * *

"Jarvis, you're getting pictures of this, right?"

"I have a video of it, sir."

"Perfect, because Natasha's birthday is in a week and I think this would make her life if she saw this."

"It may also give her a heart attack, sir."

"And she would be proud to die fangirling over her friends."

"...Her sense of pride is rather strange, then."

"The pride of all fangirls is, Jarvis. In fact...they're strange in all their aspects. It's just their nature… Oh my god, tell me you're getting video of this!"

Steve had now turned so he was laying chest to chest with Bucky, playing with Bucky's braids while Bucky awkwardly lay there, looking like he was simultaneously in heaven and hell. "Yes sir, I am in fact getting a video of this."

"I'm the best friend ever."

"That's debatable, sir."

 


	4. Drawings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have something a little different planned for the next few chapters, but I was in the mood for trying something new, so I hope you like it. :)

Winter shifted uncomfortably, listening into the radio that connected the Avengers. Victor von Douchebag had stolen his nightly reading hour with Steve away from him, making him slightly more irritable than usual. He sat in the control room with some woman named Agent Maria, who was flipping across multiple camera feeds of the city-scape, trying to vocally lead the deployed Avenger's away from traps and civilians.

He breathed in for calm when a Doombot came dangerously close to getting a hold of Steve before a blast from Stark drove it off.

" _Thanks, Tony."_

" _No problem, Cap."_

He should be the one out there on the battlefield, he should be the one at Steve's back.

Maria flicked her eyes to him, a question in them. He nodded that he was fine, waving her back to her work. He wished he could leave, but to do so would mean agents that were on-call, ready to be brought in to assist where they were needed, would have to be diverted to make sure he wasn't alone or reverting back to his old programing. He wasn't about to let his discomfort remove soldiers from Steve's war.

He twitched when the destroyed husks of two bots rained down on Steve, diverting his attention from the fight, allowing for another bot to tackle him, dragging him up into the air. His heartbeat slammed up a notch, watching his friend struggle, his jaw ticking. Sam swooped in to save the day and simultaneous relief and guilt wrapped around Winter's heart.

Even if he had been fighting with them, there was nothing he could have done. Sam still was the only one who had his back.

It made him wonder.

Why was Natasha nudging Steve when he wasn't looking, whispering about adding him to their team? Why was Tony giving him strange looks when he let the man play with his left arm, as if he were on the cusp of actually trusting him?

Winter couldn't save someone, it wasn't in his programming. Everything that made him superhuman was a directly lethal ability, nothing more.

He had nothing to bring with him except firepower, and you couldn't trust a weapon to have your back in a fight.

Soon the skirmish was over, and they were back to cleaning up. Maria disconnected from the radio after thanking the team for their work, telling them to head home for debriefing. She sighed and looked over at Winter, "How are you holding up? You look like you're about to snap…"

He sneered, "No."  **Just reminding myself not to hope for certain things…**

He retired now to his room, Maria trailing him till he'd entered Captain's level, then she set JARVIS to keep an eye on him. He hadn't done more than crawl into bed when JARVIS's voice came over the intercom.

"Sir, I would like to inform you that Steve should be back in about 5 minutes, are you sure you would like to fall asleep now?"

"Yes. I don't really feel up to talking...Besides, he has to debrief…" Winter shrugged.

"He has expressed an interest to see you."

"Why is that?"

"He simply stated he wanted to talk with you about something."

Barnes leapt awake within him, curious and loyal, wanting to please Steve by just listening to whatever he had to say, excited that he even had something to say to him. Winter felt similarly, though he stilled his past self, reminding himself of what the conversation could be about for Steve to bypass protocol. It couldn't be a good thing for Winter, even if Steve thought it was. "Tell him I felt tired."

"Yes, sir." He was just lowering his eyelids when he heard JARVIS speak again. "He told me to please keep you awake."

Winter frowned, "Tell him I'm already asleep."

"I would, but I have been programmed not to lie to Mr. Rogers unless it is a lie from Mr. Stark."

"Then ask Mr. Stark to have you lie for me."

There was a pause and then, "Mr. Stark would like to express that hiding from Mr. Rogers would do you no good, but he will oblige this once… He also expresses his wishes for you to 'sleep well, Snowflake.'"

"Tell him thanks."

A pause, "He says you're welcome."

Winter closed his eyes, trying to force himself to sleep. Usually it was easy, he'd been trained to sleep almost on command, but Barnes was squirming inside of his mind, his need to know what was going on agitating him. He went through the motions of sleep, not even moving when he heard Steve open his door and sit down on his bed side.

It took considerable amounts of effort to pretend not to notice when his shoulder was shaken softly, or when he felt an irritated slap on his back, "I know you're awake…"

But Barnes noted the white lie lacing Steve's words and he continued to feign sleep, hoping the man would go away. Instead, Steve sighed, pulling his left arm over to look at it. He prided himself on not tensing at this, and let Steve skim his fingers over the metal before he took his real hand, comparing the two.

He left, but before Winter could feel relief, the man returned, sitting down on his bed.

At first he wondered what was occurring, until he heard the telling sounds of scratches on paper, soft brushes of an eraser, and the relaxed breathing Steve assumed when he drew.

This was unsettling, but somehow it also eased him, knowing that Steve was watching over him. Barnes retreated into a dreamworld and Winter fell into it right behind him. In his dream he was flipping through one of Steve's many sketchpads, smiling at the drawings. He woke unintentionally fifteen minutes later, when Steve shifted.

Winter cursed how lightly he slept.

His eyes fluttered open without his permission and he saw Steve, bent over his book, sketching quickly. When his eyes flicked up to him and back, his movements stuttered and his eyes flicked up to Winter's, "Oh, hey Buck… Sorry… I was just…" He snapped his book closed, but Winter grabbed it deftly, flipping it open to the page the pencil marked. There was a sketch of his hands, comparing the two in black in white.

Steve was still as a statue, uncertain what Winter's reaction would be.

Curious, he flipped back through the book, stilling when he found the other drawings were mostly of him. He didn't realize how often and how long he stared off into space...apparently long enough for Steve to sketch him and hide the fact he'd done so…

So this was how he looked to Steve?

He eased back onto the headboard, not needing to squint in the dim light to see the difference between the earlier pictures and the newer ones. The oldest were harsher, his jawline was always tight, his eyes flinty and filled with formless anger...then slowly the features softened, he didn't glare so much, his brow eased...One made him blink. It depicted him, sitting easily on the balcony rail with Barton. He was smiling, his shoulders set in such a way he appeared to be in the middle of laughing. Barton had that face he made when he was telling a story about Natasha, specifically one that she would probably kill him for had she known he was breathing a word of it to anyone. He'd remembered Steve kicked back on the couch inside, drawing, but how come he hadn't noticed his eyes on them?

Was he losing his awareness? Or was it just Steve?

He reached the end of the sketches and handed it back silently to Steve before he got out of bed to go out into the living area. Steve followed him, keeping back, his eyes wary. Winter said nothing as he sat down on the couch, looking out the window to the darkening sky. Steve waited a couple minutes to sit down on the other side of the couch, he seemed to be waiting for some angry reaction.

Instead Winter just tossed him the pencil he hadn't noticed he'd kept in his hand and picked up a book off the coffee table to read. After a couple moments, he noticed Steve open the sketchbook and begin to draw hesitantly before quickly losing himself in his work. Barnes was practically purring inside him, and Winter felt that posing for Steve was an act very familiar to him. It made him smile to think that he had done this before, decades ago.

After a while, Steve turned the page, and Winter frowned over at him, "You're gonna redraw it?"

Steve blushed, "You're expression is always changing...so I'm just drawing in a different tone."

"Oh…" His eyes returned to the book and he grinned inwardly with malicious joy as he stated matter of factly, "You shouldn't keep drawing the same thing over and over again if the differences are so little... I could pose nude if you want."

Steve choked on air and Bucky gave himself a small pat on the back for keeping a straight face even after peaking up to witness Steve's flushed and confused expression.

_Good job, Winter, good job._

**Why, thank you, Barnes.**

He shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly, "Isn't that what artists do now?" Steve stuttered incoherently for a few more seconds before Bucky turned, leveling him with a blank stare, "I really wouldn't mind."

_I would very much mind._

**I would too, but I doubt he'll take the bait-**

Steve, blushing like a maiden, his eyes downcast shyly to the side, spoke finally, his voice barely more than a whisper, "I mean, if you're comfortable with it."

And he couldn't school the look of panic that sprung up within him. Winter was already floundering about for some excuse as to why Steve probably shouldn't draw him nude while Barnes already had a couple reasons as to why Bucky shouldn't be naked in the same room as Steve.

But it took about half a second for Steve to burst out laughing, grinning to himself, "I knew you we're joking. I can't believe I actually managed to get you for that."

Winter open and closed his mouth in surprise and the after-effects of his miniature heart attack before he started laughing as well, glad he had just avoided what could have been a catastrophe. After a while of just nervous laughter, Steve cleared his throat.

"But, I mean, if you're comfortable, I would actually like to draw you with your shirt off-" when he caught Bucky's confused look he clarified, "Just your shirt, because I want to draw where your arm connects with your body."

Winter conferred for a second with Barnes before they agreed that little harm could come from removing his shirt. So, without any words, he simply took his shirt off and leaned back, picking up the book again to distract himself from the idea that Steve's eyes were mapping the planes of his body, an idea that kept him from reading a single damn word of the book. He hoped desperately that Steve wouldn't ask him any questions, because two chapters later he had no idea why Bilbo and the dwarves were floating around in barrels, much less where the hell they were.

Steve drew for a couple hours more before he set his book aside, apologizing for forgetting the time. Winter waved it off, setting his own book down, having pretended to read over halfway through the book. Steve edged closer, something Winter didn't overlook. He felt his heart begin to hammer against his ribs and he looked up, meeting Steve's eyes in the middle of an obvious movement closer. Steve flushed again, "Oh, I just...wanted a closer look at it…" He nodded to where Winter's arm connected to his chest.

Winter shrugged, leaning back so Steve could get a better look. When Steve reached a hand out, hesitant to bring his fingers in contact with the seam of flesh and metal, Barnes rose up within him once more, and gingerly Bucky brought Steve's hand to him. He released Steve, letting him trail his fingers over the ragged scars, watching as his eyes filled with sadness.

Then the blue irises clouded for a second with confusion and his fingers paused, pressing into Bucky's flesh, "You're heart is beating really fast, Buck, are you okay?"

"Yes."

_**No.** _

Steve was far too close for Bucky's comfort, it was becoming physically painful to resist pulling him into a kiss, or simply just touching him. He wanted to be closer to Steve, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself if he was.

Steve registered the lie, nodding to himself, "It's okay, Buck, I understand."

He began cleaning up his drawing tools when Bucky lost his control, reaching out and pulling Steve into a hug, chanting to himself,  _ **just this once, just this once, just this once.**_  Without his heavy combat shirt on, he could feel Steve's heart pounding against his ribs as he held him close. The rhythm calmed him and he took a deep breath before whispering, "Sorry…" and letting go, quickly grabbing his shirt and moving to leave before Steve grabbed his right hand.

"Wait...um… We forgot to read tonight."

"It's alright, you were doing your hero thing…" The bitter feelings started to seep back in from earlier, when suddenly Steve brightened, a grin lighting his features.

"Oh! That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

_**Damn.** _

"What?" Dread was pooling in his stomach, but he hid it.

"We've decided it would be best for you to join us."

He felt his heart sink, "Who?" Did his voice have to sound so hollow?

Steve's smile began to wane, "The Avengers. I miss having you by my side."

"No." It was a firm, final word on the matter. It didn't invite discussion or persuasion. Winter took control fully, knowing his gaze was flickering into a vacant, nearly angry glare. He turned and left Steve sitting on the couch, slamming the door of his bedroom shut behind him and locking it. He tossed his combat shirt away from him, laying down on the floor behind the bed, away from the window. He could feel the programming running thick through his veins again as he hid from the pain Steve's offer had brought him.

He wanted to fight beside Steve again, would give anything for it, but he knew that he couldn't be so selfish. He would simply be an endangerment to him. Steve would assume that he could still prove to be more than a weapon, prove to be someone who could have his back in a tight situation, and that assumption would get Steve killed.

Winter wouldn't allow that, even if it meant rejecting something he so desperately wanted.

Steve found Bucky reverting mostly into Winter over the next few days, his heart sinking as he watched Bruce and Natasha attempting to talk with him, only to get that vacant gaze turned on them till they walked away. The only one who managed to do anything with Winter was Clint, mostly achieving a few words from him here and there.

Steve finally approached Clint three days after he asked Winter to join the Avengers.

"Hey, Clint. Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." Clint shrugged, turning off the phone he'd been playing 2048 on (hopelessly, he might add).

"How do you get Bucky to talk to you so easily?"

"I just know how it feels to be in his place. Plus I've dealt with issues like this before with Natasha."

"Then how come she can't talk to him?"

"She wasn't the one coaxing someone through something like this. When Winter is like this, he just shuts down, barely aware of anything...Nat was the same way. You can't expect them to know what they needed all the time."

"Well...What can I do to help?"

"Steve… right now, Winter doesn't need you to be doing what I'm doing. He just needs you to be yourself...as cliche as that sounds, it's true. He needs Steve Rogers to bring that old part of himself back out, and that's the best you can do. Also, maybe go back to reading to him every day."

Steve frowned, "He told you about that?"

"No, Natasha did. Remember when we celebrated her birthday last week and she squeed really loudly?"

"...Yes?"

Clint chuckled, "Tony sent her some security footage of you two reading Game of Thrones. She thinks it's adorable her two Icicles are catching up on pop culture together."

Steve flushed a bit, looking to the side. Wanting to change the topic back to it's source, he cleared his throat and asked, "So I should start reading to him again?"

"Yes."

Steve nodded, "I'll do that."

That night he nervously approached Winter, tapping his arm, "Hey...Bucky?"

Winter glared him down, "Hm?"

"I really want to finish reading this chapter with you… is that alright?" He held up their book for clarification.

Something flickered in Winter's eyes and he nodded, letting Steve lead him by the hand to the couch. Winter shifted in surprise when Steve sat very close to him on purpose as he read, as if he were worried Winter might suddenly disappear. As this went on, Winter began to thaw again, but Steve noticed that he was still worrying over something.

As much as he wanted to ask what it was, he decided it would be revealed when Winter was ready.

* * *

Winter was stretching after a warm shower, having slung on some pjs, thinking that that might make Steve smile tonight when they read. He went to the kitchen, about to make a late night snack when Clint burst in from across the room, freezing when he caught sight of Winter.

"Cli-" He barely got out his name before Clint began rambling.

"Winter, Winter it's bad. Hydra. Hydra got them. They were out there," He pointed to the windows overlooking the city, "Out there on patrol and Hydra grabbed them. Winter, Winter what do we do!?"

"Clint, calm down, who was on patrol tonight?" Winter steadied Barnes within him to evoke a calmer exterior, but they were both in turmoil.

_**Please don't be Steve, please God, don't be Steve.** _

"Natasha and Steve. They were both captured."

Winter felt something inside him chill to a degree he hadn't felt since he lay in a pool of red snow, staring up into a blizzard.

Jarvis's voice almost wasn't registered, "Sirs, Mr. Stark would like to inform you that you are both going to be sequestered to this floor level together, since he believes, and I quote, 'they're going to try some stupid shit to get the love of their lives back and end up getting themselves killed in the process.' You will be unable to leave until the rest of the Avengers have come up with a plan. I will notify you at once if there are any changes. Please refrain from throwing yourselves out the windows, since they are locked and made of shatterproof glass."

With that his voice clicked off and Winter and Clint gave each other looks of pain.

Their hearts had been stolen by Hydra, and they were trapped until further notice.

 


	5. Unconventional Rescue

Winter was infuriated.

After Clint and he were trapped, it only took an hour for the Avengers to assemble and locate where Hydra had taken Nat and Steve. They had then flown off without even a passing glance at the unstable men they'd left pacing the floors of their temporary prison on Captain America's tower level, certain that bringing them along might cause trouble.

They'd had no news for two hours when JARVIS came online, "Sirs, it appea-ea-ears that my con-nn-nec-nection is fal-te-rin-g-g-g. Be-b-bewa-r-re of Lo-" Then he cut off.

Clint slowly approached Winter, "Stay close, this can't be good… Tony's told me before that JARVIS can't be cut out of the Avengers tower-"

"Really now?" A smooth voice flowed through the air and Winter watched as Clint grew pale, eyes wide as if traumatized. "Because I just did so. And I wouldn't plan on your Avengers coming back," A whirl of shadows and light detached from a corner of the room and a man strode out in green and black armor, with gold trim about the edges. "Even if the digital servant could warn them of my presence here, they are rather preoccupied."

"Loki…" Clint hissed, stepping back slightly and to the side behind Winter. "Thor said you were dead."

Loki laughed, "Yes, and I'm supposed to be, I know. That's why I'm here… Those oafish Avengers of yours are getting themselves captured as we speak, rushing head first into a trap."

"Why does that matter to you?" Winter asked.

"Because if Thor gets killed, and he will die when Hydra gets their hands on him, there will arise some problems for my current...situation." He shrugged through the last two words, as if trying to remain vague.

"Current situation?" Winter prompted.

Loki studied him from afar then nodded, "I have...displaced Odin for the time being. Right now I'm ruling Asgard under his guise, and for sometime the realm has been the better for it. Alas...if Thor dies there will be some questions raised as to why Odin cannot bring himself to wage war with Midgard for their actions against our royalty…  _I_  cannot bring myself to wage war with Midgard because I would not want to incur your pathetic world's wrath again. It's like an annoying little wasp at the back of my head, and I have more important things to deal with than petty wars. Rescuing Thor, and keeping him in the dark about my place as King of Asgard-" he added particular stress on this last part, glaring the men down with an unspoken warning, "Is faster and safer for our two worlds and my own personal goals. Is this explanation enough?"

Winter nodded, he was aware of what Loki had done beforehand, but he was sure that if the god currently had bigger plans than what was going on in 'Midgard' then he wouldn't do more than release the Avengers from their imprisonment. "Yes. Now, what do you have in mind to get them out?"

"Winter…" Clint hissed behind him.

"Do you want Natasha back or not?" Winter glared over his shoulder at the smaller man, who huffed out a breath and nodded, still paler than usual.

"Are we agreed?" Loki asked, and when Winter nodded he smiled, "Good. I plan to siege Hydra's compound from the inside out."

Clint frowned and came forward a bit, "Compound? I thought they were still fighting."

"They are, but they are about to be stuck in a strange field of energy...reminiscent of the Tesseract's. I know not how Hydra has gained such a power again, my sources aren't allowed into the 'R&D levels,' as they call it, but it matters not. If we enter into battle with them, it is likely we will all be captured as well. We must attack their base, for which I need you...The frozen one, in particular." He nodded to Winter, "I intend to act as though I am offering you up to them as a sign of good will, from one 'supervillain,' as you label us, to the other. From there, we will attack from inside and take the compound. I plan to trap the Avengers unknowingly in their segment of the building to make their escape only after we have made our own… Under the guise of having been saved by a coincidental war between Hydra and a one, Dr. Doom."

"Victor von Doom? And why would he help us?" Clint asked.

Loki smiled, waving his hand. A large window opened with his gesture, and in reply a suited man flew in, landing beside Loki. Bright eyes flashed behind the suit's silver mask and a distorted voice came out, "Because if one plans to take over the world, then having someone else murder your arch-enemies is… well," he chuckled, "It's rather insulting."

Clint threw his hands up in the air and moved away, muttering something about stress eating as he entered the kitchen. Winter shook his head with a smile, surprised he himself was unphased by the presence of these criminals. In fact, he was happy. It seemed like there might be a chance for him to actually do some good...he could go save Steve as the man had once saved him…

Loki stepped forward, interrupting his thoughts, "Victor is willing to attack from outside as we attack from the inside. I also have some knowledge of two mutants that are resting within the walls of the compound. Twins to be exact. They wish for freedom, and if we release them they will fight with us. After the attack, I will transport you two to the Avengers tower, and the rest of us will return safely to Victor's country, where the Avengers can't touch us. Does this plan sound satisfactory?"

Clint walked back in, eating a sandwich, looking pissed off, "Yeah, sounds good. One thing though, really big thing, you know, important, kind of… dunno why Winter didn't ask this, but," He was waving his hands about slightly as he rambled, flinging crumbs and lettuce as his sandwich fell apart in his knuckle-white grip, "How do we know you won't kill us all?"

"Because, I wish for Thor to remain alive, Victor wishes to kill the rest of you on his own terms, and we both wish to destroy Hydra. The twins simply want to escape. There is no reason for any of  _us_  to murder any of  _you_."

"What about us knowing your little Odin secret?" Clint asked.

"I'll wipe your memory of that information. However, I will leave you with the memory of the rest of the encounter, seeing as if you forget it entirely you may accidentally reveal your hand in all this. I rather doubt you want your friends to know you even considered making a deal with either Victor or I."

"You've got that right…" Clint sighed, shaking his head. "So, when do we start?"

"Tonight. I suggest you two get your supplies. And... Winter, was it?" Loki asked Winter, who nodded in the affirmative. Loki smiled slyly, "Winter. Good, Good. Let us all meet in this room at the stroke of 12 tonight. Victor will not be here with us, instead, he will meet us at the compound." With that Loki moved to the kitchen, "Now, what do you mortals keep as sustenance…?"

* * *

"I don't like it," Clint muttered, checking his bow for the hundredth time. That wasn't an exaggeration, Winter had actually counted.

"I don't either, but it's our only chance. If Loki and Victor decided working together is better than working alone, then we couldn't have even hoped of saving anyone on our own." Winter shifted his hands through his combat clothes, checking over his miniature portable armory.

_Goddamn…_

**Quiet, Barnes, I can't have you distracting me…**

_Oh yeah, just let me distract you from the six man army taking on an...what was it? AN ACTUAL GODDAMN ARMY. Seriously. And you can't even be sure you have six men! You can only be sure of Clint-_

**Barnes, I don't know how, but I'm going to slap you one of these days.**

_Seriously? I'm you, you can't threaten me._

**I'll slap Steve then.**

_...You wouldn't._

**...No, I wouldn't…**

Winter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, when Clint asked, "You, uh… having fun there?"

"What?" Winter frowned.

"You're doing that… schizophrenic thing Tony told me about."

Sighing again, Winter nodded, "Yeah, sorry."

"No problem… just… Barnes, if you can hear me in there...try not to distract us. Do it for Steve, okay?"

_Roger that. Haha._

**Oh, shut up.**

_You like it._

**I like anything to do with Steve.**

_...Also, yes._

"We good?" Clint waved a hand in front of Winter's face.

"Oh. Yeah. He said 'Roger that.'" Clint burst out laughing, causing Winter to push his shoulder playfully, "Don't encourage him…"

"Sure, sure." He smiled, shaking his head. "Now lets go wage war with the Green Berets…"

"Don't insult the special forces." Barnes bubbled up from inside him. Winter shook his head and blinked. That was weird…

"You two okay?" Clint frowned at him, as if realizing what had just happened.

"Yeah, we're fine. Let's go."

They walked up from Clint's armory to the Captain's level a little before midnight, where they found Loki leaning on the kitchen counter, drinking some coffee, and looking through Steve's notebooks. He flicked his eyes up and gestured to some mugs beside him, "Take your strength potion, mortals."

Clint and Winter peeked over Loki's shoulders as they took their positions on either side of him, looking over Steve's sketches. Clint snorted, "Figured he'd draw you a lot…"

Loki flipped the page, showing the drawing from a couple days ago where Steve drew him shirtless. "My, my, what have we here?" He arched a brow at Winter, "I'm curious, tell me, are you and the Captain involved?"

"No." Winter growled, angry at Loki for snooping into his and Steve's personal life… though admittedly more hurt that he couldn't have answered 'yes' to that question.

Loki gave him a knowing look and smiled, "Well, he seems rather enamored of you…"

Winter flushed and pouted as he looked away, pretending to be absorbed by drinking his coffee, only to burn his throat. He winced as it scorched his tongue.

"Perhaps you should have let that cool?" Loki chuckled.

Winter just shook his head and continued drinking, causing himself pain just to spite Loki. This, of course, made the god laugh. "Whatever suits you, mortal. Barton, would you like me to cool yours a bit?"

"Ah, what the hell…" He offered his cup to Loki. Winter watched from the corner of his eye as Loki's hand turned blue, barely touching the cup for a second before removing his hand. Clint sipped the coffee and nodded, "Thanks."

"You're very welcome. It's the least I could do for how obliging you two are, considering that you're having to put faith in Victor and I…"

"Why do you call him Victor? I thought for you and Thor it was polite to only call someone by their last name or full name?" Clint asked.

"Oh, yes, it is. I'm just being impolite. The man gets on my nerves. Do you know, I had to slap him at least five times to get him to stop referring to himself in third person? He just kept saying 'Doom is pleased,' and 'Doom will make Hydra fear Doom.' Who does that?"

Clint burst out laughing and Winter snorted, saying, "Well that explains why he wasn't pronouncing his name every other second."

Clint giggled as he tried to speak, "You actually slapped Doom?"

"Of course!" Loki seemed surprised that Clint had to ask, "The man sounded ridiculous. I won't have him talking like that when I associate myself with him."

"What happened when you first slapped him?" Winter asked.

"He seemed shocked and tried to hit me back. I just showed him my magic was superior to his and that I would slap him whenever I chose, though in particular I would slap him every time he did something so stupid again."

"Thank you, God… literally." Clint laughed, clapping Loki on the back, immediately pausing when he realized what he'd just done. "Oh, sorry."

"That is fine, just do not repeat it." Loki waved him away, "Now, finish your potions, we will be off in a little." Dutifully, the two men downed the rest of their coffee. Once done, Loki grabbed their wrists, "Ready?"

They nodded. Then the world inverted completely and Clint screamed like a startled girl.

* * *

After they watched Clint stumble around for a while to get his bearings, Loki instructed them to look as vacant eyed as possible before he led them manually to the front of the compound. Having to look straight ahead with no emotion, Winter was barely aware of Loki stating his business there and being led inside the gates by a couple guards. Eventually, they shoved them into the back of a darkened car, and after a couple minutes of driving they were taken out again and moved towards a bunker. An elevator inside took them down, and Winter saw multiple armed guards lining the spaces where men ran around, working on computers and with strange equipment… He wasn't entirely certain was going on here, and wished he could observe them better to figure it out...though he was pretty sure it was the usual Hydra deal: Take over the world weaponry and such.

After a long walk, they ended up in a room with some men who seemed to be the ones in charge. Loki talked about world domination, working in tandem, the Avengers suck… blah… blah…  _blah…_ Winter was actually fighting to stay awake, he'd was so used to this kind of thing. Oh no, his neck felt stiff… he had to resist the urge to crack it. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Clint's nose twitching.

**Don't sneeze, Clint…**

The two men were so focused on fighting their miniature war inwardly that they were legitimately surprised when Loki used his magic to kill the men before them. Clint sneezed and Winter sighed, rolling his neck on his shoulders, producing a satisfying crackle up his vertebrae. They looked around afterwards, finally noticing a room full of Lokis distracting the guards. "Anytime…" one of the Lokis prompted them.

"Oh, right!" Clint blinked the sleepiness from his eyes and pulled out his bow, beginning to shoot down some of the guards running around the room. Winter took stock of where they were: a large, rectangular hallway filled with machinery. Typical evil laboratory. He slipped a knife from his belt and took out a nearby guard who was trying to stumble around the illusions of Loki.

"Where are the twins?" Winter asked, deciding not to direct it anywhere in particular.

"I'm not sure, grab Clint and a hostage and find them." A couple Loki illusions replied.

"Understood." Winter said mechanically. He could feel his programming kicking in.

He had a mission.

Save Steve Rogers.

He grabbed a guard and hissed in his ear, "Take me to the mutant twins now and I won't gut you." He heard a squeak before the man whimpered out some directions. He turned his head to the chaos and called out, "Clint, now!"

Clint bolted after him, covering him as they began to make their way through the compound. It was almost sad really, how ill prepared Hydra was to be breached from within. That was their one flaw: complete overconfidence. Each time they burst in a door the guards would act confused, their training and the design of the innermost rooms meant to defend the room from one way and one way only. The Hydra agents were open targets every time. It wasn't long before they reached another room filled with machinery, but they heard strange noises coming from the other end. No guards were left here, the room strangely silent.

Winter closed the door behind them and jerked his hostage by the neck, dragging him over to the other side of the room. The man trailed promises that this was the place. They found two glass containers, the inside of each looking like a small shadow box portrayal of a mental institution.

One container held a man who was little more than a blur, trying to slam his way through the walls; the other held a wild-eyed girl, who swung around to look at them, the items in her room floated around her in disordered orbits. "Hello…?" the girl spoke, eyes unfocused. "Are you here to let us out?"

Clint spoke up, "We're with Loki and Doom, we're going to get you guys out of here."

The redhead girl grinned, "Really? Silver! Silver, did you hear, did you hear?"

The boy stopped, looking around, his outline shimmering as he shifted back and forth faster than any normal human could, "I heard. The levers…" He nodded to a control board to a side. "Please…"

Clint ran to the control board and began throwing levers randomly, "Hey, hey! Careful!" Winter shouted.

"I'm just trying things…"

"I can see that…" Finally, after turning the lights in different areas of the room on and off, the glass cages opened up and the twins rushed out, immediately embracing each other.

"We're free!" Scarlet shouted joyfully.

"Not yet…" Her brother chided, "May I ask who you two are?"

The four introduced themselves to each other. They were just deciding from which side of the room to make their exit when Loki's mangled scream suddenly rang out.

"What was that…?" Clint asked.

Winter growled, "He'll be fine, we need to get to Steve."

"And Natasha…" Clint reminded him.

"Is that our guide?" QuickSilver asked, gesturing to the terrified man Winter held at knifepoint. At his assenting whimper Silver nodded, "Then lead the way, and lets get out of here, quickly. Or as quick as you people can go…"

So they made their way through more rooms, this time much faster thanks to Silver and Scarlet, as they wished to be called. They battled their way out of the first few rooms before the compound began emptying in their wake, the personnel clearly retreating. They found the control room for the Avengers' cells and stopped. The heroes appeared to all be strapped up, bleeding and in pain. Their rooms had been evacuated already, much to Winter's dismay. He was seeing red, wanting to hunt down and tear his friends' tormentors apart, but Clint grabbed his arm, returning him to his senses, "We need to make this plan work or Loki and Victor…"

Winter nodded, not wanting to know what was at the end of that sentence.

There was only one problem.

How the hell were they supposed to program the cells and bindings to open at a certain time?

Scarlet watched them fiddle with controls and the displays for a couple seconds before stepping up behind them, asking, "What do you wish for me to do?"

After a quick description of their objectives, her hands flitted over the controls confidently and after a minute or two she nodded, "It has been done. Shall we?" She waved to the door.

"Exit?"Winter asked their prisoner.

As the man led them out, they began seeing Doombots wandering around, taking care of screaming guards, those who hadn't fled yet… at this point Winter was feeling a little guilty, but then he remembered Steve, strapped to a table… He shook his head, the guilt melting away.

Then a voice echoed out from a nearby Doombot, "At your leisure, could you possibly come assist me? I fear our ticket out of here is bleeding to death on the floor."

"What?" Clint jolted at Victor's sudden disembodied voice, taking a second to locate it's source.

"Let me make this clearer," one of the Doombots stepped up to them, "follow this goddamned robot and get your asses over here… we have a serious problem."

The four shared a look, when suddenly Scarlet startled, her eyes suddenly flipping around her as if seeing something beyond what was there. "Something's wrong… the small man got out."

"Small man?" Winter asked. He and Clint shared a look before both saying, "Tony."

"In that case," The Doombot shoved at Clint's back, "Hurry."

* * *

Tony sat in the surveillance room back at the Avengers tower, three days later. He was still sore from their time at the Hydra compound, and his mind was aching from the problem at hand. Rubbing his brow as he looked over the monitors, he sighed, "What are we supposed to do? There are home videos of them everywhere, pictures, podcasts, everything from the past three days..."

"They all helped us defeat Hydra today... On national television," Natasha shifted in her seat, "We can't even keep Doom and Loki locked up much longer."

Bruce sighed, pacing up and down the back of the room, ignoring the monitors everyone else was looking at, his usually calm demeanor slipping, "Let's just think about this, I'm sure there's something we can do."

"I can't bring myself to believe that Bucky would run off with Loki and Victor if they gave him any reason not to trust them." Steve stated firmly, worried about his friend.

Just then, on the screen of a monitor, Scarlet looked up at the camera with those crazy eyes, as if she'd heard them talking. She was curled up on her prison cell cot, the pillow and sheets floating around the room. "I have an offer that might help you all…"

Tony sighed, pressing the intercom button for her cell, "And what would that be?"

"A consistent security feed from the time we sprang you all free from the compound to this morning's battle. Would that help?"

Tony seemed taken aback, "Of all six of you? For three whole days?"

"Yes."

He paused before looking back at the Avengers, "Someone better start making popcorn."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you liked this chapter, I'm sorry about the time jump at the end there, but don't worry, the next few chapters are meant to fill in what happened during that little skip.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the positive reviews, I hope you all continue to enjoy reading this story :)


	6. Roadtrip Anyone?

_**Prologue** _

The Avengers sat back, Steve and Natasha more than a little irritated without the presence of Bucky and Clint, but some things had to be taken care of, and this was one of them. The Scarlet Witch had kept an off-site data record of all the video footage taken of them in case she and her brother were betrayed and in need of assistance. For over three days the Avengers had been trying to catch up with this strange motley crew, but now that they had captured them, thrown them into custody, and were given the tapes by Scarlet… They decided that to judge their next course of action, the best thing to do would be to watch the record of what happened.

So Tony passed around some popcorn and they attempted to relax.

* * *

_**Post-Fight** _

The first clip on record jumped into the middle of the action. It was of Loki kneeling on the ground, heaving steadily, trying to tear a detonated anti-magic device from his side. The device had exploded like a grenade, tearing great gashes in his flesh, yet it clung to him still like a barb. He looked like he was in pain, his teeth gritted down, his loss clear as he made motions in attempts to heal the gaping wounds, but to no avail. Victor rushed over from where he'd managed to kill some guards and lifted Loki into his arms, maiden-style, causing Loki to curse.

"Dammit, Doom, set me down this instant!"

"Not a priority at the moment." Victor turned calling out, "Where are those confounded-"

Scarlet breezed in, hair whirling as her brother accompanied her into the room, just a blur as he flitted about, checking over everything, "The little man, Tony, got loose and set them free, we have very little time-"

"Bucky?!" They heard Thor's booming cry echo through the building.

"Shit!" Loki cursed, "I cannot teleport us away."

"Dammit," Victor barked into the hallway as Bucky and Clint approached, "What have you done?!"

"We went back and trapped them in there, but we can brush it off as an accident," Clint had knocked an arrow as a precaution, "But you four need to telepo-" He frowned at what he saw, "Loki's playing the damsel then?"

"Silence your brutish tongue, Barton, I've had my magic removed. We must all hurry away, neither Victor nor I have the strength to clear out of here without notice. Your involvement with us is obvious…" He took a second to regain his breath before finishing, "We must all flee."

"They're right." Bucky nodded, making Steve cringe inwardly as he watched his friend agree so quickly with the criminals, "Bruce went Green last I checked, I doubt he'll pause."

Victor shifted to say something, brushing the open gash in Loki's side. The god whimpered and everyone turned to him, startled. Loki sneered, "I have no magic, my soul feels like it has been torn from me, and I am bleeding to death. Forgive me an involuntary sound. Now, let us leave.  _Please._  My oaf of a brother cannot know I live." He hissed in a breath as more blood dripped past his fingers, "My apologies for your costume, Von Doom."

"It is my armor, not a costume. But yes, let us go. We can figure out more once we all have a place to rest."

The group nodded as one and the next moments of footage showed them fleeing the premises, grabbing a large vehicle, that mimicked a civilian van. The feed flipped to surveillance devices in the car. Victor tossed the keys to Clint, "Drive, Archer." He lay Loki in the back seats as Quicksilver and Scarlet hopped in the middle row, peeking back at the pale mess of a God sprawled there. Victor slipped off his mask, too focused on the job at hand to care what people thought of his scarred features. Winter slipped in shotgun and began calmly and cooly directing Barton out of the Hydra Base before turning around. "How is he?"

Victor this entire time had been putting the wound back together with what minimal magic he could muster up, mending where he could. The process was obviously painful for Loki, who was sweating profusely and would every now and then hiss or mutter profanities. "About as well as he could be without his magic… Stop moving, Loki."

"That is the car, not me, you imbecile!"

"Well, try to stay still."

"I am." The god gritted his teeth as there was a crack of bone, Victor's hand disappearing inside his abdomen to fix a broken rib. "I hope you are sanitizing your hands…"

"I'm not stupid, Loki, whatever you may think. I know what I'm doing... though I can't say this was exactly what I had planned to do...ever."

"What's going on back there?" Winter asked, trying to peak over Scarlet and Silver's heads. "Oh, well then." He blinked as Victor retracted a very bloody hand from inside Loki's chest.

"Did the job description for Evil Genius not have 'stick hand in dying god' anywhere in the fine print or something?" Silver asked, eyebrow raised at Victor's pale face.

"Woah, okay.  _What_ is going on back there!?" Clint shouted, swerving onto a road that led into the beginnings of a small town.

"I'm healing him! Not doing anything perverse. Get your mind out of the gutter and  _goddamnit can you even drive?!"_  Victor bit out.

"That's debatable." Scarlet commented, reaching out with her hand, using her power to shove a pedestrian back onto the sidewalk, out of the way of the car.

"Thank you," Clint muttered.

"You're welcome." She nodded, turning back around to reach over Victor's shoulder, peeling back the skin of Loki's wound. With eerie calm she muttered, "His liver is punctured."

"Would you stop looking at my insides like that?" Loki ground out as Victor reached in to fix the damaged organ. " _And get your hand out of me!_ "

"NO RAPING." Clint shouted back.

"That isn't what this is!" Victor shouted over his shoulder, turning to look out the front car window, "Dear God, if we haven't been found out by now, your driving is going to get us on the news-"

"I've been turning people around. They won't see us." Scarlet muttered.

"Is that why you're so pale right now?" Winter asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes. It's excruciating. Especially at this speed. But I will not have escaped Hydra just to be imprisoned by your people…" She closed her eyes, "There are going to be too many soon. Hawk, you must slow down…" Everyone quieted for the next few minutes to let Clint, Scarlet, and Victor concentrate, but soon she began shaking, "Now. Hawk. Merge with traffic. Stop. Speeding."

"Fine, fine." He slowed, his knee bouncing up and down, jaw ticking, "They'll find us soon, this vehicle-"

"Silver-" Scarlet intoned. At a stop light, Silver's door opened and there was a flash as he moved. They waited one long minute before he came back.

"I've switched around the license plates of all the cars I could. Did anyone see?" He buckled his seatbelt again.

"No," She sighed, slumping into the door. "I...I only control probabilities… this was all… a little too much… I need to sleep." Immediately her eyes rolled back in her head and she dozed.

Clint didn't relax for the next fifteen minutes, slowly making his way through the city. "Where do we stay?" He asked eventually, whispering so as not to wake Scarlet.

"Motel. I have little magic, but if Quicksilver can act stable enough, he can buy a room and we can climb in the window so as not to be noticed. I think I might be able to destroy surveillance-"

"Scarlet has taken care of all the surveillance cameras," her brother explained, "She says she's destroying the probability of transmittance completely, even as she sleeps."

"Oh," Victor seemed pleasantly surprised, "That's a very useful skill."

"Quite." Silver nodded, smiling to himself, "I'll do as you ask."

"Alright, let's find a motel…" Clint muttered.

They were silent again for a long while before they pulled up outside the motel of Clint's choice. "Let's go."

Silver got out of the car and Clint handed him his wallet, stating clearly, "Only cash, and I know how much this stuff costs, so don't steal anything from me."

"Fine." They all waited as Silver got them a room and when he returned in a couple minutes he showed them to the window he had opened for them. He helped get Loki and a still sleeping Scarlet into the room. They allowed Scarlet her own bed, while Victor lay his tattered cloak on the ground to rest Loki upon while he finished attempting to heal the God. When Victor had reduced the wound to a small gash, now out of magic himself, Winter offered his skills to stitch and bind the remaining injury.

To do so they had to tear off Loki's armor, which Thor seemed surprised at as he witnessed the footage. Apparently Loki's trust issues didn't extend to people who had already had their hands in his stomach. He lay, chest bare but for the white bindings that ran from his pelvis to his lower ribcage, wheezing slightly, though looking a bit better than before.

"My thanks…" He whispered, eyes fluttering closed.

"You're welcome… now I just have to get your guts off my hands…" Victor mumbled, holding his limbs out from him as though disgusted.

Loki snorted, "You should be grateful you even got to touch a speck of my blood."

"Yeah, yeah… God stuff…" Victor muttered as he rose to wash his hands, shaking his head in exhaustion.

Winter and Barton sat against a wall, seeming to be comfortable falling to sleep in such a way, while Victor stumbled in and sunk down on the small couch. Silver sat in a creaky wooden chair, thinking to himself.

As they all began to fall asleep, Loki groggily reached up and gripped Victor's chin, turning him to look at the half of his face that was scarred. "After all the years we've worked together… and I've never seen this before." Victor seemed uncertain what to do as suddenly everyone peeked over at him, studying the webbed burn marks. When Loki saw the nervousness in Victor's eyes, he huffed, "Tis not so bad." A finger traced the edge of his jawline, "It's actually kind of beautiful."

Victor blushed and Clint rolled his eyes, "Someone has lost way too much blood."

"Silence, Barton." Loki moved his hand back to the ground, closing his eyes again. "We should all rest…"

In the next few minutes, everyone nodded off, save Silver. The mutant didn't sleep once that night, keeping a silent vigil over his new companions. They fast forwarded the tapes, but other than Silver checking on Scarlet or Loki once in a while, they all seemed to freeze in place.

* * *

_**Intermission 1** _

"Alright, I'm calling curtain for now," Tony sighed, pausing the videos, "Thor, feel free to throw up in the bathroom." Thor graciously took the advice and his pale visage left them. "Steve, Nat… you guys okay?"

They nodded tightly, clearly upset by the immediate camaraderie their loved ones had assumed with two of their greatest enemies, still with little to no explanation. It was also strange that the two criminals were actually acting rather... docile in comparison to their usual psychotic demeanor.

Bruce sighed, rising and removing his glasses to clean them nervously, "I'm going to step outside for a bit, and I believe you three," He nodded to Thor as he re-entered the room to let him know he was part of the pending recommendation, "Should go see your locked up counterparts…"

They nodded and obeyed, the three piling into the elevator and pressing the button for the lowest subterranean level. As they descended, Steve spoke first, "Thor… I don't know what's gotten into your brother, but for what it's worth… thanks."

"It is beyond me, Son of Rogers. I did not know he was alive until that one Tube of the You video came up."

Natasha snorted, "Who knew that Loki could look so terrifying ordering a chicken nugget meal?"

"Who knew that Clint drove like...well." Steve shook his head, "That was ridiculous."

"Von Doom is very skilled to have healed my brother under such dangerous conditions." Thor agreed, his brow furrowed at the memory, looking rather pale again.

"Don't think on it, big guy." Natasha patted his back with a pitying expression, "We're stuck in this elevator for a full 30 more seconds, and no offense but I don't want to get vomit on my shoes."

"I am quite fine, Lady Natasha. I simply worry for my younger brother."

"I'm surprised at how calm Bucky and Clint were…" Steve sighed. "They don't look like they were under any sort of spell…" He shook his head, "I just don't get it. We're missing something, something that happened before Scarlet entered the picture."

Thor nodded, "I fear that you are correct in this. I just hope it is nothing terrible, for all we know it could be a simple act or a simple statement that my brother or Von Doom made that gained their trust. Perhaps further review of the past few days would be of assistance, they may speak on what happened."

Natasha looked grim, "Whatever it is, we'll definitely see soon. Though I suggest that none of us tell them about the tapes, just in case something happens."

"Agreed." Steve straightened as the doors to the elevator dinged their way open. They stepped out and separated through the hallways to the different levels of containment: Thor branching off first, then Natasha. Steve found himself alone at the first security check for Bucky's room, waved through the door wordlessly by the guards. He did this at one more check before he entered an observation area attached to the front of Bucky's room. Inside, the man was resting on his cot, staring up at the ceiling. He peaked back and at the first sight of Steve he leapt to his feet.

When he realized what he'd done he shifted and looked around shyly, clearing his throat with a curt, "Captain."

Steve smiled, walking right up to the glass and leaning on it, as if that would make him any closer, "At ease, Soldier."

Bucky smiled in kind, though his cheeks were tinged red, and he cleared his throat again, as if he were having some issue with speaking, "How have you been? I didn't really get to ask…"

"I've been worried about you, Buck… You went running off with two super-villains and two mutants…"

"Hey, I had Clint."

A jab of jealousy pricked Steve's heart, "You should have been with me."

Bucky's eyes darkened and they wandered to the side slightly. Steve waited, knowing from what Tony had told him Bucky was having some sort of inner conversation. He watched as Bucky's lips twitched first into a smile, then an irritated frown. Suddenly the man mumbled, "As if he'd ever care like  _that_."

"Care like what?" Steve asked, assuming he was the 'he' in question was.

Bucky startled and blushed furiously, "Nothing, Stevie…"

Steve frowned, "Bucky, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Bucky's eyes became pools of sadness, reminiscent of a puppy's. It melted Steve to the very core, "I wish I could say yes…"

"Buck…" Steve felt tears pricking his eyes when he heard Tony's voice bark into the overhead.

"Okay, cut the sap and get back here, Cap. More popcorn is ready."

"Popcorn?" Bucky asked.

Steve shrugged as if he had no idea what that meant, "It's Tony…"

Bucky rolled his eyes, scoffing under his breath, "Wonder if it's like the pizza thing…"

"What was that?" Steve frowned.

"Nothing." Bucky waved it off, and Steve shook his head, wondering what he meant.

He jogged back to the elevator where he met Thor and Natasha, holding the door for him. She patted his back upon arrival, "Let's go see if we can't make sense of this whole mess."

"Hey, guys… Did you know anything about Tony and...pizza?"

Thor frowned, "I think he enjoys it."

Nat shrugged, "The man loves it, why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing… just… Something Bucky mentioned. Nevermind."

 


	7. The Evil League of Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know last chapter was shorter than usual, so I thought I would just add this chapter really quick, like one big weekend update. I hope you enjoy! :)

_**Intermission 1 - End** _

Tony clapped his hands as they all sat back down in the main gathering room, the giant plasma screen TV set to 3 AM the morning of the first day after the Hydra compound. The figures on the screen were still frozen in their respective places, the camera angled from a corner area of the motel. Steve frowned, "Aren't there not supposed to be surveillance cameras in the rooms-"

"These are leftovers from SHIELD," Tony explained, setting out the popcorn bags for everyone, "We decided it would be a waste of money to hunt them all down and remove them, so the feeds are usually diverted to a database here for further review in case we need to see anything from them. It's what we looked through the first day, trying to find Bucky and Clint. If I'd known Scarlet could divert the data I wouldn't have even attempted to look." He sat down finally, "We all good, we ready? This is the first day, let's see if we can figure out how we got to that McDonalds drivethru." He pressed play and everyone sat back to watch.

* * *

_**Day 1** _

After another hour or so, Scarlet rose first, grumbling. The only word that came out of her mouth was a low moan that could barely be translated to "Fooooooood…."

Loki, apparently awake, muttered from the floor, "That would be rather delightful right now…" He opened his eyes and looked to the couch, peeking up at Victor. He raised his hand and shook the man's shoulder, "Wake, Von Doom. We have need of you."

The man moaned, turning away, "No… 5 more minutes."

Silver laughed as quietly as he could while Loki, obviously hungry and irritated, slapped one of the most dangerous criminals known to man, "I demand you wake up and feed us."

"Food in...fridge or something…"

"There is no fridge, you oaf!" In response to this, Victor let out a high pitched whine that made the Avenger's watching the tape laugh so hard they had to rewind to hear what Loki said next. "Useless, useless man… I'll have to do it my- GAH!" Loki had attempted to rise, but a small snap indicated the stitches had ruptured in the process. He lay back, pale. "Wonderful. Just… Wonderful." He coughed.

Silver got up and kicked Clint and Winter, "Wake up, Loki's hurt himself in the first seconds of his futile quest for food."

"I  _will_  kill you if you continue to mock me."

"Yeah, sure." Silver yawned, stretching quickly.

The two Avenger's immediately applied first aid to Loki and helped put his shirt back on, while Silver took on the daunting task of waking Victor. He attempted shaking him, talking to him, and threatening him, all of which were in vain. Finally, impatient, he punched the man in the stomach and retreated too quickly to be harmed. Victor gasped for air and hurled himself from the couch, looking for his enemy. Instead Scarlet's puppy dog eyes drilled into his crazed ones, "Food…" She whimpered.

He immediately deflated, shlumping back into the couch with an exhausted sigh, "Oh… Can we...order in or something? Is that what we should do?" He asked Clint. After he did this he went to brush the hair back on the right side of his face, and when his fingers registered burn marks he realized he'd removed his mask. He seemed confused for a second, looking around. When no one freaked out about it, he relaxed significantly.

Meanwhile, Clint seemed surprised his opinion was being taken into account. He thought for a second then nodded, "If you pay in cash, yeah. Not so bad. Though… pizza for two hungry super-criminals, super-heroes, and mutants each… that's a little much to go to a motel room of one."

Victor sighed, cracking his neck, "Just order it, we will leave soon. And aren't these places notorious for not caring about what their patrons do? Anyone who sees will probably just think Silver has some strange-"

"I'm not sure where that sentence was going, but please don't finish it." Silver muttered.

"Yeah, and by the way, who's mind is in the gutter now?" Clint asked teasingly.

"Gutter? What did you think I was going to say? I was just going to say strange appetite… My god man, what kind of people do you know?"

"I know Tony Stark…" Clint shrugged.

"Note to self," Scarlet said absently, "Keep a ten foot distance from Tony Stark…especially if he's with pizza."

The Avengers all flicked their gazes from the TV to look at Tony, who rolled his eyes, waving for them to continue watching the group on the video as they set up for breakfast pizza. Natasha and Thor chuckled when Steve muttered something about, "Oh, that's what Bucky meant…" They continued to watch as Clint and Winter hacked their Starkphones so they wouldn't transmit their location or their call, then called in their order, only to pause.

"Oh, what do you guys want?"

"I thought we decided on pizza?" Scarlet shrugged.

"What kind?" He clarified.

"What do you mean, what kind?" Silver asked.

Clint's mouth dropped.

"What is pizza, anyway?" Loki frowned from the ground.

Clint shuddered as if he were disgusted and barked into the phone, "I want 10 supreme pizzas."

"Supreme?" Winter and Victor shared a confused look.

Clint slammed his hand over his heart as if in pain and gazed into the world with vacant, wide eyes as he stated their address. When he hung up he just shook his head, "I bet none of you have even tried ice cream."

When four out of five shook their heads, and three of those four asked what ice cream was, Clint twitched so violently in shock that he seemed on the verge of seizing. He began ranting, claiming that the likely reason for their villainous doings was directly proportional to their lack of ice cream exposure. Soon enough, Silver saw a car pull up with a man stepping out of it carrying far too many pizza boxes. He walked as carefully outside as he could to greet the deliveryman, take the pizzas, then avoid eye contact with the woman at the desk in front as he returned to his room.

The Avengers fast forwarded through the breakfast as each person in the room was too hungry to speak past the sheer amount of food they needed to consume, and once each box was empty and tossed away, Clint asked, "So, what do you think?"

"Twas good, mortal." Loki nodded from the propped up position Victor held him in with his legs. Victor sat on the couch with Loki before him on the floor, one foot on either side of him, letting the man lean back without having to support any of his own weight.

"Really good!" Scarlet clapped, in her excitement accidently floating any loose items around her.

Silver grinned, "Is ice cream this good?"

Clint matched Silver's enthusiastic smile, "Ten times better, at least. I promise you that."

Victor laughed, "We should try it sometime then. Perhaps we can grab some once Loki regains his magic."

"Speaking of which, how long you think that will take, Kiki?" Clint asked the god.

Loki growled at the name and attempted to launch himself at Clint, only to topple over, thankfully caught by Victor, who dragged him onto the couch, laying him over his lap and pulling up his shirt with a frown, "Please refrain from injuring yourself."

Loki hissed, "I am a god! Do not treat me like some pet-" suddenly he ceased his ranting and sighed in relief as soft green magic flowed from Victor's hand over his wound, obviously easing the pain. His eyes fluttered closed and his breathing slowed. The Avengers watched intensely as the people on screen all cocked their heads and Bucky chuckled.

Winter whispered softly, "Is he… Purring?"

Victor seemed surprised, but a grin was plastered to his face, "I think so…"

Scarlet began to giggle, whispering to Silver, "I always thought he looked like a big cat."

Victor gently adjusted Loki, who seemed to be asleep or just too content to care, so that he was more comfortable, "Alright, everyone shower or whatever you need to do so we can get on the road again."

"Yes,  _Dad_." Scarlet said, rolling her eyes. However, she easily hopped off the bed and rushed to the bathroom, shouting behind her, "Ladies first!"

Clint cursed, "Great, now she'll use all the hot water."

The next hour was a terribly surreal one for the Avengers watching the tape as Winter, Clint, Scarlet, and Silver all fought over the single bathroom. They shouted at each other and as the shouting increased, Loki's features drew tight again and this seemed to signal to Victor that enough was enough. He carefully set Loki down before going to the bathroom where Scarlet was fighting with Clint for a tooth brush that came from god knows where, and Silver and Winter were arguing over who got the shower next. He simply walked in before stating very coldly and calmly, "There is an injured god in the next room who you are on the verge of waking. I will assist him in gaining revenge upon you for this mild inconvenience if you four do not calm down and act maturely. Do I make myself clear?"

The four looked sheepishly to each other and nodded like guilty children.

"Good. Now, Hawkeye and Winter, I suggest you let the children have the bathroom first, then you may have your turn."

"Ch-children!?" Scarlet looked terribly affronted, but before she could say more, Loki's voice echoed in from the next room.

"Darling, you and your brother are little more than two decades old. Barton is nearly twice that age, Victor and Winter are multiples of it, and I think you have an idea of just how old I am. Do not take it as an insult that we might see you as children."

Scarlet and Silver pouted, but accepted this quietly. The next fifteen minutes went by with little incident other than Victor returning to Loki, placing his hand over the god's wound once more. Interestingly enough, Loki reached up and continued to run his fingers lightly over Victor's scar. When asked why he simply shrugged and said it was interesting. By the time it was Victor and Loki's turn to have the bathroom, Loki waved for Victor to go first while he removed his own stitches, his wound now little more than a couple pink welts running up his side. Victor came back soon and let Loki have his turn, and once everyone was ready they escaped out the window.

Victor took the wheel this time, Loki called shotgun before Clint could, and the twins clambered into the way back, throwing a stolen towel over the bloodstained seats. Clint sat behind Victor, while Winter sat behind Loki, both men leaning over the seats in front of them to see the two villains poking at the GPS in the dashboard.

"Where do you want to go?" Victor asked.

Loki shrugged, "I know not where to go from here. Where are we?"

Clint played with the touch screen a bit before stating, "We're in… New Jersey, near to New York."

"Well, let's avoid that state altogether…" Loki sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, seeming almost guilty.

"Agreed," Victor moved the images on the screen around, "So, what do you guys think?"

Winter took that moment to lean forward, moving the map around, "Here." He tapped the screen. "It's a bunker that was blown up when Steve pissed off a German scientist trapped in a machine." Everyone but Clint gave him an odd look and he shrugged. "It's a little bit in ruins, but it  _does_  have some weapons lying about. We could use some considering we just took down a Hydra base…"

Victor nodded. "Alright, anyone else?" When no one came up with anything he set the destination. He asked Scarlet to pass him his mask from the back where he'd left it the night before, but before he put it on, Loki reached over and took it under the guise of wanting to inspect it. Victor smiled a bit and began driving calmly according to the robotic voice that rang out every so often to direct him. As they drove everyone fell back into their seats silently, likely pondering their current situation. Loki lost interest in the mask within seconds, opting to stare openly at Victor's scar. Silver fell asleep quickly and didn't wake for another half hour. When he did he looked around before saying one thing.

"Thirsty…"

"Alright, do you two even know how to use your words to politely ask for something instead of just stating what you want or feel like?" Loki frowned at them from the front seat.

Silver seemed confused, "We never had to say more than that to get what we needed."

Loki rolled his eyes, "Well, next time you want food, you say 'I'm hungry, could we please find some nourishment?' or 'I am in need of drink, shall we procure some?' You two need some manners."

"What are you? Our mom?" Scarlet asked.

Loki glared at her, "Why am I suddenly the mother?"

"Cause Victor's obviously the father here?" Clint shrugged.

"What does that make us?" Winter asked.

Scarlet grinned, throwing herself between the seats to hug Winter and Clint, "Uncle Winter and Uncle Hawk!"

"I hope we're brothers, 'cause if you think Winter and I are gonna be together romantically you're gonna be sorely disappointed."

"Natasha might murder me if she even supposes anything between us." Winter chuckled.

"Really? Steve would tear me apart if he thought I'd take his precious Bucky Bear from him." At the mention of Bucky Bear, Loki frowned.

"What is this Bucky Bear you speak of? Does Captain America sleep with one of those stuffed animal toys for children?"

"No," Clint grinned as he explained, "Winter's name from back when he knew Steve was Bucky, but when Steve lost his precious teddy bear, Bucky replaced it with himself, so Steve calls him his Bucky Bear."

Scarlet coo'd, "Oh that's adorable! You two must be the sweetest couple!"

Winter flushed pure crimson, stammering, unable to form a coherent sentence, while Clint sadly shook his head, "Unfortunately, Winter isn't brave enough to tell Steve his feelings, and Steve's in denial."

"What?!" Scarlet's jaw dropped.

"Why don't you just tell him?" Silver asked, confused.

"Seriously!" She waved her hands wildly.

"Calm down, Scarlet," Victor peeked over his shoulder, "I can't see out the back window when you do that."

"Sorry… and is Captain America the blond man? The one with shorter hair, not the overly large one with long hair."

Clint nodded, "Yep, and the two are, like, perfect for each other."

"Clint!" Winter hissed.

"Oh, what? Like Captain America can hear you? It's fine, no one here is gonna tell him you're in love with him, christ."

"I am not!" Winter turned, embarrassed, pressing his face into the window.

"Truly?" Loki asked, looking back at him with an amused smile. "You simply light up whenever he is mentioned."

Winter made a defeated sound, choosing not to meet anyone's eyes. Scarlet poked his shoulder till he turned to her, blinking at him with her best puppy dog eyes, " _Do_  you love him, Uncle Winter?"

Winter sighed, looking down, muttering a very quiet, "Who couldn't love him…?"

* * *

_**Pause 1** _

"So uh…" Nat said awkwardly after Tony paused so they could all look to Steve for his reaction, "This was probably not how Winter wanted Steve to find out."

Steve sat looking at the screen, paused on Bucky's downcast gaze, his cheeks burning as red as Steve's were in that moment. His eyes were watering and he rose, obviously intending to move towards the elevator when Tony jumped over the couch and stood in front of him, "Whoa, there. Hold up. I know you just overheard a confession of love from your long time best friend, but if you go down there and confront him about it, you'll have to reveal that we have this footage. And I think we should all finish watching it before we tell them in case there's something we probably should not have seen. Even you have to admit that."

Steve swallowed, obviously torn between listening to reason and shoving Tony out of the way and rushing down to see Bucky.

They all waited with bated breath for Steve's reaction.

He turned sharply and sat back down, grabbing the remote and forcefully pressing 'play.'

* * *

_**Day 1 - Continued** _

"Aw…" The Avengers were all shocked to hear the sound not only come from Scarlet, but from Clint, Loki, and Victor as well.

Victor shook his head with a grin, "Adorable."

Clint looked in surprise at the two in front of him, "Well look at you two, being all soft and what not."

"Oh hush, Barton. It is rare that you see someone as devoted as Winter. He trusted two arch-enemies just to save the man he loved." Loki gave him a chiding gaze, even as a smile played over his lips.

"Hey! I did that for Natasha!" Clint whined.

"But you're young," Loki shrugged, "His love has lasted about twice as long as your lifetime, and despite it being fruitless he has not abandoned it. I know for a fact that your love is not unrequited in the least, so you could not have gone through such trials to prove your devotion."

"That's not fair!"

Silver laughed, "Hey, Mom and Dad are happy for the moment, don't push it, Uncle Hawk."

"Okay,  _children,_  let's quit with the family stuff. It's weirding me out." Clint growled. Winter didn't speak up, still flushing to the point he was redder than Thor's mantle.

Victor turned to them, "Let's all stop for a moment, what do you guys want from here?"

Winter finally lost his color when he realized where they were, "Why are we in line for McDonalds?"

"I thought this would be the safest place to get a drink. What do you guys want?"

"I know this sounds strange, but I'm hungry." Loki turned to Clint, "What do you recommend from this temple of food?"

Clint shrugged, "Anything, as long as you get the fries with it. Just pick one." He waved to the menu.

"Clint," Winter slapped his arm, "Idiot, the people at the window will see us!"

Victor shrugged, "I'll take care of it, don't worry. What would you like?"

They pulled up just then to the menu and a voice startled Victor, "Hello, welcome to McDonalds, how may I help you?"

"Oh, uh… one second please. Orders?"

Silver called out, "Just a coke for me, thanks."

"Same here!" Scarlet screamed.

"Shhh! Quiet down." Victor rolled his eyes, turning to Clint and Winter, "You two?"

"Just a Big Mac and coke." Clint nodded.

Winter sighed in defeat, "A coke for me, thanks. And Clint, didn't you just have seven pieces of pizza for breakfast?"

"Yeah, shut up." Clint frowned, "I'm worried about Nat, I can stress eat…"

Loki smiled to himself as he told Victor, "A chicken...nugget meal. And whatever this 'coke' is."

Victor reiterated the order. As they waited to pull up to the window, Loki began to fidget with the radio, using it as an excuse to hide Victor's mask behind him in the process. Every time he landed on an actual song, Clint would get excited and Loki would scrunch his nose up in distaste, changing it quickly, consequently upsetting Clint. Finally, Clint barked, "God! Leave it on one station, dammit!"

"These songs are atrocious!" The god barked, "How do you expect me to listen to them?"

"With your Asgardian ears!"

Loki's demeanor turned poisonous, "I am not Asgardian…"

"Right, sorry Frosty, my bad. With you Jotun ears!"

"Say that one more time, Barton, and I will not hesitate to smite you!"

"Hey! No smiting!" Victor shouted.

"U-um...excuse...me?" A girl stood wide-eyed at the window.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Road trips, you know how it gets." Clint said, suddenly leaning over Victor's seat through the window, pulling some money from his wallet, "Here you go."

"Uh...huh…" She blinked and shakily took the money. "Um… here are your drinks…" She handed some drink trays to Victor, who took them and passed them back to be distributed. "And your food…" She paused before handing it over, noticing his scar and the god beside him, "Are...are you Dr. Doom…? And… Loki?"

Victor turned his head slightly to hide his scar, and when Loki saw this he leaned forward, looking straight into the girl's eyes, "Stop staring at us and relinquish my chicken nuggets unto me, or I will crawl out of this car and murder you. I will pry my sustenance from your cold, dead hands."

She practically tossed the food at them with a "Have a nice day!" before quickly shutting the window and bolting.

Victor paused, "There was a man holding up a phone behind her… I believe he was taking a video of that encounter."

"Yeah… we should probably change course now, just in case…" Clint sighed.

"Where to?"

Winter shrugged, leaning over the seats in front of him to poke at the GPS, "Why not just anywhere?" He jabbed a random spot which took them to a state park over in Pennsylvania. "Why not there?"

"Sounds as good as anything I can think of right now." Clint shrugged. "We're just waiting on Loki getting better. Speaking of which how are you- Wow, you're really going at that." He laughed, watching Loki practically inhale his meal.

"Silence, Barton. I'm still angry with you. And I'm getting better… I just need lots of food and some time. I can feel my magic beginning to reform."

Victor began to drive again, turning on the radio, "Now I'm going to just choose a random channel, we're going to leave it there, and no one's going to complain." He poked the shuffle and suddenly country music drawled out over the speakers.

Everyone cringed.

Victor changed it without complaint to an 80's channel.

They listened to this for a long while, simply driving for a couple hours more before Victor pulled up to a gas station. He reached over to Loki, palm up, and the god reluctantly gave him his mask back. He placed his mask on and got out to hook the car up to the gas pump. He leaned against the door calmly as people nervously finished up what they were doing and fled as fast as they could. Loki gestured for Clint to lower his window and he leaned back to talk to Victor.

"Can we get some sustenance from inside?"

"Sure, go in with Clint to pay."

"Can I go too?" Winter asked.

"Me three?" Silver raised his hand.

Victor sighed, "Go for it." He replaced the pump and returned to the car as the others left. The screen split in two, one showing Victor and Scarlet, the other focusing on the other four. Tony called out to Jarvis to drown out the one to listen momentarily to Victor and Scarlet, seeing that the girl seemed to want to ask something.

"Dad?"

Victor rolled his eyes, "Yes, Darling?"

They laughed for a second before Scarlet asked, "Why are you with us?"

Victor frowned, "What do you mean?"

"You could have just flown off with your Doombots but you stayed with us. Why?"

Victor nodded, rolling his shoulders as if sore. He removed his mask and set it down before rubbing his eyes. "It was because of Kiki. I don't know. I just… I couldn't let him die. Don't ask me why, I honestly don't know. Just finding him there on the ground… I know what it's like to have your magic taken from you, to be helpless… I didn't want him to be alone on top of it all..." Victor shook his head, "Don't tell anyone I said that."

"Why?" Scarlet laughed, "Are you going to smite me?"

"No, there will be no smit-" A shot rang out, "What the hell!?" He looked over to the side and the Avenger's turned their attention to the other video feed.

The store clerk was shooting at them with a gun. It wasn't long before the car doors open and the others piled in. Loki was paler than before, wheezing, "That did not go so well. But at least we obtained our nourishment."

"Call it food, Kiki." Clint said through a mouth full of doughnut.

"Don't call me that again and don't talk with food in your mouth, Barton, it's revolting."

Victor quickly pulled away. "Can we still head the way we were before?"

"Yeah, there are at least three different highways we could take…" Bucky looked through the GPS, "They won't know where we're going just yet."

"Alright. Note to self. Don't go shopping with Supervillains…" Clint muttered.

"What did you expect?" Scarlet asked.

"I don't know. I never really thought that I'd ever be stuck in the Evil League of Evil."

"Evil League of Evil?" The twins asked together.

"Oh great, we're in a musical now…" Winter muttered, tearing open a bag of chips.

"I'm not even going to ask...but if anyone begins singing, I will tear out their tongue…" Loki sighed, eyes fluttering in exhaustion, "Did anyone get shot?"

Clint shook his head, "The man had terrible aim."

"Good…" Loki fell silent.

"Let Loki rest, okay?" Victor whispered back into the car.

Everyone nodded. The next few hours of driving were filled with silent munchings. Loki woke somewhere along the way, they didn't know when because they were fast forwarding, but by the time they stopped it was dark out and they were pulling into another motel. They repeated the same process as before, with Winter questioning the limitlessness of Clint's wallet as they climbed in the window. They took similar arrangements as before, though Loki and Victor shared a small couch, each lying on their own side, curled up.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Victor tore off his cape and rested it over Loki's shoulders, to which the God snuggled deeper into the fabric and relaxed. Clint, apparently awake at the time, chuckled before Victor shot him a death glare.

Tony paused at 3 AM like before.

* * *

_**Intermission 2** _

"So." Tony started, "We're gonna break here. And you three can go visit your buddies, but no mention of anything. Nothing out of the ordinary. Is that understood?" When Steve didn't make any indication of hearing this Tony raised his voice, "Is that understood, Cap?"

"Yeah." He nodded tightly.

"Okay, then go."

The three got in the elevator, this time the descent was silent, though Thor patted his shoulder and Natasha rubbed his back. When Natasha and he parted this time in the hallway, she called after him, "Relax, act natural."

"I'll try." He sighed.

At the last checkpoint he took a deep, calming breath, and entered to see Bucky.

Bucky was just sitting there, staring out into space. Once again, catching sight of Steve, he leapt to his feet, blushing a bit, "Hey, Stevie…"

Steve's heart did some strange inverted flip and it took all his composure to smile, "Hey, Buck."

They were silent for a while, just looking at each other, before Steve walked closer, leaning on the glass again. He didn't break the silence though, Bucky did that, "So...what have you been up to? If I can ask that."

"Eating a lot of popcorn…" He sighed.

Bucky smiled, "I remember going to the movies with you when we were little…" His eyes suddenly snapped back up to Steve's suspiciously, "What are you watching?"

Steve shrugged, trying to remain calm, "Just some movies of Tony's. We're just waiting for the military and politicians to get back with us for the time being…"

"Oh…" Bucky frowned. He seemed to struggle with saying something before finally asking, "You can stay down here with me, you know…"

Steve's heart twisted and he felt a lump in his throat, "I can't, Buck. I need to go back upstairs when Tony calls."

Bucky frowned, "Stevie...what's wrong…" He approached the glass, leaning his side against it, mirroring Steve so he could rest his head against it. Steve got the strange feeling that this was almost what it would look like to lie down in bed next to Bucky...only vertical… and instead of a bed there was glass. He shook himself inwardly for thinking of such stupid things, listening to Bucky's next words, "You don't have to lie to me if you can't tell me what you're doing…"

"I'm sorry, Buck…" Steve felt tears in his eyes, "For everything...truly I am… I just wish-" Before he could say something else,Tony cut in.

"Captain! Get up here. Bruce microwaved us some leftovers for dinner."

Steve nodded, looking one last time at Bucky, who seemed scared and confused at the tears in Steve's eyes. He waved goodbye and walked out.

Natasha and Thor didn't say anything when he had to wipe the tears off his cheeks.

 


	8. Camping

_**Intermission 2 - End** _

They all quietly set the table in front of the TV, leaning back into their respective seats to eat the leftovers. When no one pressed play, Natasha quietly got up and grabbed the remote off the table. None of them were quite sure what else was going to happen, so she looked to them for assent.

After everyone nodded, she pressed play.

* * *

_**Day 2** _

At almost exactly the same time as the day before, Scarlet rose with a whimper. Loki frowned and looked at her, in the middle of Scarlet whining for food, he corrected her, "Ask politely."

She scrunched her eyebrows up in confusion, her memories catching up with her. After a few seconds she nodded and asked, "May we please find some sustenance?"

"Of course." Loki leaned over to the other side of the couch, becoming aware of Victor's cape for the first time. He blinked at it for a second, his features schooled so much that no emotion was visible. Finally, he reached out, gently shaking Victor. "Victor...Victor wake."

"Ugh… Kiki, stop."

Loki stilled, his knuckles turning white as he gripped Victor's arm so hard the man yelped. When Victor looked at him questioningly, trying to pry Loki's hand off his arm, Loki hissed, "Do not call me that."

"Call you what?" He asked groggily.

"Kiki." There was a slight flush to his cheeks as he said this.

Victor blushed and stammered, "Oh… Sorry, Doom-" Loki drew his lips back over his teeth menacingly when he heard Victor beginning to revert to third person, "I mean I …  _I_  wasn't fully awake."

Loki narrowed his eyes at the man and curled back up with the cape around his shoulders, ordering Victor as he did so, "Get the children food."

Victor nodded, wringing his wrists nervously.

* * *

_**Pause 2** _

Tony frowned at Nat, mouth full of pasta, "Why'd you do that?"

"Okay, I just have to ask… does anyone...notice...anything?"

"What do you mean?" Bruce set his food down, curious.

"Just...I mean, anything weird, with Von Doom…"

"He's not saying his name over and over again." Tony shrugged. Then he stilled. "Oh my god, he hasn't done that at all. Is that not even Doom?!"

Nat shook her head, "No, didn't you hear him? He just corrected himself. Why did he do that?"

They all paused for a bit before Thor brightened up with the answer, "Loki! Loki was correcting him!"

"Yes!" Nat clapped.

"So… Loki's the one calling the shots?" Tony shrugged, "Why does it matter?"

"No, no, not that. Victor doesn't change for anyone or anything, under any form of torture, don't we all know this?" Nat held her hands out, waiting for someone to see what she assumed was obvious. When everyone nodded hesitantly she huffed in annoyance, "Victor is changing his speech pattern, something integral to his annoying supervillain persona, just for Loki, even when Loki has no true power over him." She waited, and when all she got were confused looks she rolled her eyes, "I think Von Doom is in love with Loki. There, I said it."

Tony and Steve gave her the 'stop shipping everyone' look she knew all too well, Bruce seemed taken aback, though he looked as though it were because he hadn't realized this sooner, while Thor's eyes widened and he stared at the screen, dumbfounded.

Steve rolled his eyes, "Nat-"

"No, think about it!" She stomped her foot in anger, "Look at how they're both blushing there because he called Loki by a pet name, think of how he's been treating him so carefully, don't you see it?!"

Steve frowned a bit before saying, "He did sound very fond of Loki when he was talking about him to Scarlet…"

Tony rolled his eyes, "We'll see. Just unpause."

With a triumphant smile, Natasha hit play.

Thor still seemed confused, his mouth hanging open in shock.

* * *

_**Day 2 - Continued** _

Victor proceeded to wake Winter and Clint, silencing them before they made much noise, and consulted them on breakfast. In whispers, they agreed on pizza again and Victor called in the order. They woke Silver to get the pizza when it came.

This time when they ate, Clint and Winter ate on the bed, Scarlet and Silver on the ground, while Victor and Loki ate on the couch. Natasha wouldn't let them fast-forward, watching the screen intently, as if waiting for something. When everyone finished eating, the four younger ones all tried to run to the bathroom, but Victor stopped them, making them decide beforehand who got to use it and when.

During the time when Scarlet was using the bathroom and the three younger men were grumbling to themselves, Loki nudged Victor shyly with his shoulder.

Victor looked down at him, his cheeks a little pink, "Hm?"

Loki spoke very quietly, so quietly Natasha rewound the tape and asked JARVIS to focus on Loki and Victor's voices, "Thanks for everything."

Victor blushed fully, "It is nothing."

"No, it is everything. Without you, I might be dead now." His mouth turned into a sour smile, "Like I technically should be."

Victor frowned, taking Loki's hand, "Don't say that."

Loki's usually calm, pale features morphed into a shocked, bright red mess. He squeezed Victor's hand and looked away from him, his eyes wide.

* * *

_**Pause 3** _

Nat was bouncing up and down in her seat, squeeing, "Oh! I told you! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! This is too cute!"

"Jeez, Nat, calm down!" Tony shouted, holding his ears, "I think...I think I just lost a couple years off my hearing there…"

"It's just too cute, I can't stand it!"

"Well, relax," Bruce looked concerned for her well being, "We don't know what happens between them so let's just all calm down… you too, Thor."

Thor's mouth hung open and his eyes were wide with shock still. He looked petrified.

"Thor..?" Nat poked his shoulder, "Thor?"

Thor shook his head in disbelief, "I have never seen my brother act like that…"

"Aw!" Nat smiled, "Okay, let's watch!"

* * *

_**Day 2 - Continued. Again.** _

Victor, blushing profusely, and breathing a little bit faster, looked quickly at the men who were now all sitting criss-cross on the bed in a circle, ignoring him and Loki entirely. He licked his lips before brushing them on the back of Loki's neck. Loki jolted and let out a pleased whimper.

Quickly, as if he'd planned for this, Victor moved his hand to Loki's side, a glowing green resting over where his wound had been. When the men turned to see Loki, completely red in the face and leaning so close to Victor, they assumed he was in pain. Silver frowned, "You okay, mom?"

"Yes." Loki choked out, "I'm fine, now… uh… Thank you, Victor." He added the last bit when he noticed what Victor was doing.

"You're quite welcome." Victor's grin was wide and his eyes sparkled. Loki immediately ducked his gaze, placing one hand protectively over the back of his neck.

The men on the bed shrugged and went back to talking.

Loki shot Victor a glare, but it melted when he saw that Victor was smiling so lovingly at him. He ducked his head and looked away again, letting Victor draw him a bit closer. In fact, he leaned back into Victor's arms, so much so that Victor simply lifted him, holding him like the morning before, placing his hand over the god's stomach again. Loki's eyes fluttered closed and the purring sound emanated from him once more.

The rest of the morning was uneventful, save for when Loki and Victor had to separate, each shooting the other longing glances.

They escaped the room as they had the morning before and they stayed mostly silent in the car, everyone but Victor catching up on some more sleep. No one really spoke that morning, though Nat attacked Tony for the remote as he was fast forwarding, rewinding to a part that seemed insignificant until she pointed to Victor and Loki. At that particular moment, Victor reached over and took Loki's hand in his. Loki actually smiled at him shyly before closing his eyes and resting his head on the window, tightening his fingers around Victor's.

* * *

_**Pause 4** _

Nat clapped excitedly, "Okay, we need a couple name for them!"

"What?" Thor asked.

"A couple name. How about… Loom. Like Loki-Doom?"

"No." Tony seemed upset, "Doki. Doom-Loki. It's as stupid as this relationship is making them."

"Aw, dumb love." Nat smiled, "Any other ideas?"

Steve snorted, "I vote for Doki."

"Lictor is also good." Tony shrugged.

"Absolutely not!" Nat cringed, "That sounds like something to do with licking."

"Licking isn't so bad." Tony teased.

"Shut up, Tony… How about Voki?" Nat smiled proudly. "I'll call them Voki."

"I like Loom. Since they're just looming all the time and they spin webs of lies." Bruce shrugged.

"Doki." Tony stated, with Steve echoing assent to the term. They turned to Thor to see what he thought.

Thor shrugged. "I'm not going to enter into this discussion."

Nat rolled her eyes, unpausing, "Suit yourself."

* * *

_**Day 2 - Continued. Again….Again.** _

The car ride dragged on till Winter asked to stop for food. They'd skipped lunch entirely, and after a couple stomach growls, Winter was the only one brave enough to break the silence. They pulled up to a Wendy's, terrified the workers, and drove off with their food.

They ate in silence, drove in silence, and generally it was a pretty quick day to watch until Scarlet whined, "Are we there yet?"

"No, Scarlet." Victor sighed. "Soon though."

A half hour past.

"Now?" Scarlet asked.

"No, Scarlet. Soon."

15 minutes.

"Now?"

"No."

5 minutes.

"Now?"

"No." Victor seemed to be getting annoyed.

3 minutes.

"Oh, come oooon!" She whined, "We have to be there!"

"No, Scarlet, it's going to be a while."

"But you said soon." Her brother joined in.

"You did say soon." Clint added.

Victor tensed visibly, "Stop whining."

Loki turned his gaze on the children, "Please do as he asks."

"Fine,  _moooom_." Scarlet huffed, throwing her legs out over the seats as she relaxed against the door.

Silver frowned, "Get your dirty feet away from me."

Clint looked to Winter, the two sharing a look that said they both knew exactly what kind of experience was about to unfold.

"My feet aren't dirty! You're dirty!"

"Ow! She kicked me!"

"Did not!"

"Did too! You did it with your mind!"

"Did not! Ow, he hit me!"

"Did not!"

"You did!"

"I didn't, Uncle Hawk, did you see me hit her?"

"Well, no, but-"

"He used his speed to hit me! Look, I have a bruise on my leg now!"

Loki growled, "Silver, don't hit your sister."

"She hit me first."

From here an argument blossomed until the four in the back of the vehicle were tangled in a fight, with Loki yelling every so often that he would smite them, until Victor shouted, quieting them all, "I will turn this car around! I will drag every single one of you back to the Avengers if you do not quiet the fuck down, do you hear me?!" Everyone sat back down in their seats, a little banged up and bruised, nodding sullenly. "Good. Now. Tell me, do any of you recognize that helicarrier?"

"Well," Clint said with muted sarcasm, still a little afraid, "Helicarriers were only SHIELD property until Tony took the undamaged ones… So I'm going to take a wild guess and say it's the Avengers."

"Good. So, everyone think for a second, how do we get out of here without them spotting us?"

"We can't," Scarlet wiped tears of anger from the previous fight off her cheeks, "They'll spot our car, they know it's us now."

"So what do we do?"

"Don't get mad…" Scarlet started, "But are we almost to the park?"

"We're 10 minutes from it."

"Stop the car. We're dismantling it."

"What?!" Loki frowned. "Dismantling-we don't have time for that."

"If we stop the car and they find it parked somewhere, they know we're on foot. If we dismantle it and bury the pieces where they can't find it, then they have no choice but to assume they've made a mistake and go find us elsewhere."

Victor looked back at her, "Alright, so how do we do this?"

Five shocked men, one proud girl, 7 hidden artillery weapons, and one hidden crossword puzzle later, they'd buried the car and gained some useful items. They headed on foot to the park, hiding behind buildings and avoiding people's gazes. They snuck into the woods and hiked up a hill, finding a small clearing at the top where they all sat down in the grass to watch the sunset.

The Avengers watching this peaceful scene actually smiled tearfully. Loki and Victor sat propped against a tree, Loki leaning his head calmly on Victor's shoulder, Victor's hand resting over where his wound had been just in case anyone looked. Scarlet was tearing up, happy, while her brother ruffled her hair, smiling at the beautiful scene before them. Clint lay on his stomach, watching the colors of the sky with a dreamy expression, while Bucky rested against a tree beside him, one boot resting on the archer's back, playfully rocking him with his foot while he gazed into the sunset with a small smile on his lips. Steve hadn't seen Bucky like that since before the war...

It was possibly one of the strangest families they'd ever seen, one of the most volatile and definitely dangerous families, but also one that obviously just needed to happen for everyone involved. When the sun finally set, they all turned their gazes to the stars. Clint showed the twins the constellations, while Winter explained how you could use them to navigate. Victor and Loki chimed in with pieces of lore and history surrounding the stars mentioned. It was all very peaceful.

Victor finally told the children to sleep, so the four younger individuals lay down on the grass, seeming to fall asleep almost immediately, tired from the arduous fight they had had mere hours before. Loki smiled, chuckling, "Look at our beautiful children, Victor."

Victor grinned, pulling Loki closer to him, "Yes, aren't we so very proud..."

"It seems like just two days ago we adopted them."

Victor snorted. He was about to say something when he turned to look into Loki's eyes and suddenly the humor drained from his gaze. "Kiki…" He whispered.

Loki's eyelids seemed to grow heavy, drawing in a shaky breath, "Victor?"

Victor took the chance to answer Loki by kissing him. At first it was just a touching of the lips, then Loki's hands gripped Victor's hair and drew him in deeper. Just as Thor was about to beg them to stop watching this, Scarlet's voice interrupted them, "So does this mean you two are really a thing now? Like, you can actually be our mom and dad?"

The men froze, catching their breaths, even in the darkness their blushes were clearly visible. Scarlet sat up, rubbing her eyes. Victor cleared his throat, looking to Loki for guidance, "Well…" He started, trying to avoid mention of what had just occurred, "We did plan to take you and your brother to my home. You can stay there for as long as you like… I'd gladly adopt you, if you want. And if Loki is willing," There was a question in his voice as he looked to Loki, "He can stay and adopt you with me."

Loki's gaze softened, "I will have to make some arrangements, but… I think I would like that... very much so." He shook his head, as if waking himself, before turning to face Scarlet, "If you and your brother would like that, of course."

Silver popped his head up, clearly having not been asleep at all, "Of course we would!"

Clint sat up, "Yeah… and for what it's worth, if you guys need anything I can do my best to help. I'm a little concerned about the Voki parenting skills."

"Voki?" Victor asked. Natasha cheered, almost drowning out what Winter had to say.

"Your couple name." He reached over and high-fived Clint, "Silver, Clint, and I came up with it when you two were snuggling so covertly on the couch. Right in front of us."

The Avengers looked pointedly to Natasha, all of them having missed the aforementioned conversation because she'd asked JARVIS to mess with the audio. She shrugged.

Loki sighed, "I guess that was our fault…"

Winter grinned, "Hey, it's alright. And I'm with Clint, if you all need anything just let us know and we'll do our best."

Scarlet sounded a little choked up when she said, "Th-Thanks you guys…"

Silver wiped at his cheek and patted his sister's back, looking away, trying to hide his own tears, "Yeah… We never really had… anyone but our father who… yeah, he was fucking crazy."

"Well," Victor sighed, "We're all a little crazy...but I can promise I won't go testing on you or anything...and we won't coupe you up. Unless we ground you. Because if you start trying to take over the world without us, we're going to be upset."

Loki nodded, then he froze, "I think we should all stop talking for a bit now. We're becoming uncharacteristically emotional."

Everyone nodded vehemently, mumbling their agreements to this statement. After a couple seconds Clint sighed, "Sorry for interrupting your make out session."

"It's alright." Victor shrugged, pulling Loki close, "We need to get sleep anyway."

Winter sighed, "Agreed. Goodnight."

They all said goodnight, and it was silent for a while before Silver asked, "Is it just me or is it sweltering out here?"

"Well, it's mid summer, and uh...yeah." Clint nodded, "It's humid as fuck out here. I bet mosquitoes have taken at least a pint of my blood by now… Oh god!" He shot up, "Winter, what if they take your blood and become super mosquitoes?!"

Loki snorted, "Highly unlikely, Barton. Though you have a point about the heat…"

Winter took off his outer combat coat, "Loki, can't you do that cold thing again?"

"I'm without my magic, Winter."

"But isn't that what you're naturally like? Can't you just...press a default setting or something?"

There was silence, then "I would wish not to show my true form…"

"Why?" Victor turned to look at his partner.

"I...I cannot stand it. It's horrific."

"Oh," Clint rolled his eyes dramatically, "This is the whole 'I'm a monster' thing Thor was talking about. You think you're a monster."

"I would assume the title 'I'm a monster thing' would explain that." Silver lay back down, "Though, please mom, I don't care what you look like. If you can cool down the air, then I'll love you forever."

Victor tightened his grip on Loki, "Kiki… No one here minds." He took Loki's hand and touched it to his scar, "You know this... We love you."

Loki stiffened. Silence. Then, "I love you too… Just…" His voice choked up, "I don't really want to lose you."

Scarlet huffed, "You're only going to lose us if you let us suffocate here. We really don't care what you look like. I don't even care if you turn into a giant blue icicle!"

This actually caused Loki to laugh. A genuine, down to earth, loving laugh. "And what if that's exactly what I turn into?"

There was a pause while Scarlet pondered this, "Well, do you need a tree to hang from?"

Loki growled, "No, not like that… But I do turn into a blue frost giant, a species of monster called a Jotun."

"Oh, are you going to grow taller?" She asked.

Victor leaned back to look at him, pouting, "Please don't… I don't want to be shorter than my girlfriend." He got a punch in the stomach for that and Loki pouted, crossing his arms.

"F-fine…" As his pale skin changed, the moonlight reflected the new color of his skin.

Victor sighed, "That's much better. Come over here guys, Loki's really cold."

Loki tried to protest as the four others came over and snuggled up to him, paying no mind to the way he looked other than to comment on his strange markings and ask him what they meant, speculating on their own when he couldn't tell them.

Soon, everyone felt comfortable enough to sleep. Victor lay propped on the tree, with Loki resting on his chest, purring. Winter sat on the other side of Loki, with Clint lying across both of their laps. The twins lay over all their legs like contented kittens.

They didn't move for the rest of the night except to shift in sleep.

* * *

_**Intermission 3** _

Nat paused the tape and sniffled, "Okay…" She breathed in, "Thor, Steve?"

They nodded, leaving Tony to awkwardly pretend he hadn't been tearing up and Bruce to clean up dinner. There had just been something about seeing these people that they thought of as inhuman monsters showing love to one another that shook them all a bit… Knowing that their broken friends had finally found some sort of solace that they had been unable to provide was a bittersweet reminder of the darker part of their pasts that they couldn't possibly begin to understand as these criminals had.

When they descended Steve tried to get Natasha and Thor to stop crying, while he struggled to keep from doing so himself. They managed to finally stop and clean themselves up before going to see their friends. They decided to see Loki first.

They walked in to see him sitting against a wall, looking mopey.

"Brother?" Thor asked.

"Ye- By Odin's beard, have you all been crying?" He paled, "Why, what's happened? Victor, the children? Winter? Barton?" He leapt to his feet, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," Natasha waved for him to sit down and then she smiled, "We just wanted to come say thank you for saving us earlier today."

"Oh…" He sat down, breathing in deeply, "Okay...Yes, well… You're welcome."

He sat awkwardly fidgeting, confused by their obviously having cried before arriving there. Steve and Nat thanked him once more and left to see their respective partners.

When Steve entered Bucky's room, he opened the door to the cell, ignoring protocol. He shocked Bucky by dragging him into a bear hug, holding him close. "Steve? Steve what's wrong?" He patted his back.

"Nothing, Buck… I just missed you…"

"...It was only a couple days, Stevie…"

"No, it was much much longer than that." He tightened his grip on his friend. "It feels like it's been forever."

"O-Okay…" Bucky frowned, concerned for his friend.

Tony's unwelcome voice called him back upstairs a couple minutes later, making him disentangle himself from their embrace.

Steve, Nat, and Thor walked into the elevator and Nat drew in a deep breath, hitting the button. "Alright guys, let's wrap this thing up."

 


	9. Smiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter like this, the next few chapters will be the usual fluff, but I (and Natasha) have a little 'surprise' planned for the Stucky later on (it's a good one, so don't worry, no more kidnappings or the like for a while).

_**Intermission 3 - End** _

Tony passed out more popcorn, pissing the others off greatly, as they had felt intrusive enough watching so many personal moments unfold without the consumption of entertainment snacks. Still, they accepted the offering of comfort food and took deep breaths, readying themselves for the fight to come. Steve grabbed the remote, "Alright, let's see why they came to save us."

He pressed play.

* * *

_**Day 3 - Pre-battle** _

Loki woke first this time, stirring enough to make the others get up. They rose and stretched, no one particularly hungry. Victor kissed Loki's cheek, making the god blush in a very strange way. His cheeks turned a deep purple shade and everyone laughed, beginning to tease him about how adorable he looked. He threatened to smite them again, though as he did they stopped laughing to stare at his hands, watching as green magic flowed from them in his anger.

Victor laughed, hugging a very surprised Loki, "You're magic is back!"

"Hm?" He looked at his hands, smiling, "I suppose it is… I think being in this form helped… not to mention I've been stealing your energy when you pretended to comfort me," He elbowed Victor's ribs playfully.

"Thief!" Victor grinned, kissing Loki again.

"Scoundrel!" Loki bit his ear.

"Okay, okay. Stop before I vomit." Clint grumbled. He cracked his back.

"Getting too old to sleep on the ground, Barton?" Loki teased.

"Shut up, mythos."

Scarlet had been laughing quietly until now, when she stilled. She whirled around, searching for something. "We need to go… Something is wrong… Something is...I feel that something is wrong."

"Here?" Victor asked, tensing.

"No, no… Your friends…" she pointed to Winter and Clint. "Something's not right…"

"Are part of your powers prophecy?" Winter asked, genuinely curious.

"No! I just...feel it… Please, we have to find them."

"New York is always a good place to start." Clint offered, "Hey, Loki, feeling up to some travel?"

Loki sighed, "I… I think I can only perform magic in this form at the moment, I'm still healing."

"So?" Winter shrugged, "Let's go."

"But-"

Victor interrupted Loki, "It's fine, Kiki. Winter and Clint need to go to their friends, we must hurry."

Loki nervously wrung his hands before nodding, "Alright," He held out his arms for them to take, "Hold on tight, we're going to the Avengers tower."

The feed flipped to the Avenger's camera, much clearer than the others. It was the feed that JARVIS said had mysteriously been diverted, which made a lot more sense now. Loki wavered after their arrival on the top floor, having to be steadied by Victor.

They looked out the window and were met with Hydra aircraft waging war. "Oh goodie," Clint sighed, "Another battle in New York. How original."

Loki sneered, "Those damned bastards… I'll smite them."

"In this case, I think I'll allow that." Victor grinned. "Let me call my Doombots."

Silver turned to the pair of Avengers beside them, "Do you have any weapons?"

Clint and Winter grinned at each other. Of course they did.

* * *

_**Pause 5** _

"Okay…" Nat paused, getting a bunch of angry comments from her fellow Avengers. "Calm down, calm down, I just wanna say something."

"What?" Tony asked, annoyed.

"I think that whatever happens during this fight is just the icing on a cake. I think we can be certain of the 'Evil League of Evil.' I think we can let them go."

"I agree." Bruce nodded, swallowing his popcorn, "Though I think we need to finish watching this. We might not get another chance."

Nat grinned, "Alright," She grabbed her popcorn, "I hope there are some good Voki moments."

"Doki." Steve and Tony corrected together.

She flipped them off before pressing play.

* * *

_**Day 3 - The Battle** _

Victor flew in the sky, carrying Loki, who was particularly annoyed that he was still being picked up maiden-style. Victor spoke through the intercom, which JARVIS played now that he had access to it, "Silver, Clint? You guys might wanna head over to the Central Park to-"

Clint shouted angrily, "Why is it always Central Goddamned Park? God, it's like these guys know what pisses the mayor off the most. I hope they didn't set it on fire yet."

"Not that I can see."

"Good! Silver, let's hurry- Oh, well I guess you can just run anywhere, fine. I'll just take the plane."

"Okay, Scarlet, Winter, where are you guys?"

There was no response and Loki shouted louder, "Scarlet?! Winter?!"

No response.

Victor shouted into the mic, "WANDA. BUCKY."

Suddenly bursts of sound exploded across their earpieces: Gunfire, screams, electrical crackles, explosions. Scarlet shouted, "WE'RE BUSY, DAMMIT."

"Where are you?"

"GRAND CENTRAL ST-"

"Scarlet!" Winter interrupted her and there was a surge of electrical sounds. "Holy shit."

"What did I just...do?"

"I think you just zapped them all or something…"

"Oh...Well that works too." She sounded happy.

"That's my girl!" Loki grinned, "Smite the bastards!"

"WOO!" she and Winter turned off their mics and the background noise stopped.

Loki pointed to the Helicarrier, "That's the place they'll detonate that infernal device from. It's probably where the Avengers are all at as well."

Victor nodded, "Well, let's drop in and say hello."

They swooped in, finding a deck that led to a locked door. "I'll deal with this." Loki touched the door, freezing it completely before kicking it in, effectively shattering it.

"Very nice." Victor gave him a peck on the lips and they ran in. They soon found their way through the storage area, which was full of fighting agents, to a path that led to the control room. "Barton, where would be the best place on a helicarrier to detonate that energy field?"

"Control room."

Winter popped online, terrified screams coming from his end, "The helicarrier went through some renovations at Tony's hands… the windows can all be opened now, which would allow for minimal weakening of the signals." The sound cut off.

"Well good, we're already on our way there." Victor swung Loki up over some crates, earning an annoyed glare.

Silver popped in now as well, a scream cutting off suddenly before he spoke, "So what does this energy field do?"

"Well," Loki started, shattering another door, "Have you seen how the Hydra agents are dressed? In heavy material, which is usually strategically inadvisable?"

"Yes?" Silver prompted.

"Well, they're wearing some protective metal I can't identify right now...my magic is too weak, or else I'd test it. I believe the device is using a similar power to my staff. Since it's not as concentrated it won't give the user mind control, but I believe it will immobilize those who don't wear these specialized suits."

"So… should we steal their clothes?" Scarlet chimed in.

Victor and Loki looked to each other before smiling. Loki chuckled, "Fantastic idea, Darling."

They attacked the next two Hydra agents they found instead of trying to sneak past. The Avengers agents who'd been fighting them stared at the pair of criminals as they stripped the Hydras, pulling on their combat clothes. At their questioning and uncertain looks, Victor smiled, "You may want to get some of these, just in case."

Then he and Loki ran off.

When they came upon the control room, they saw Tony and Steve trying to fight with some of the Hydra agents, two of which were behind a line of protective fire, setting up some device attached to a…

Loki hissed, "Is that my staff!?"

"Looks like it. Kiki, think you can do that invisible thing?"

"Certainly." Loki disappeared, and Victor tensed before his mask was lifted by an unseen force. He startled and grinned, touching his cheek as though he were just kissed. "Relax and distract them."

So, Victor called in his Doombots, having five crash in through the windows.

Steve, Tony, and the agents froze, so Victor decided to put his mask back on and waltz in. "Hello, Avengers. Need some assistance?"

Tony turned to make some quip when the staff wrenched free of the device holding it and Loki appeared, attacking the two guards manning it. "What the hell!?" Tony shouted.

Victor dove in to protect Loki, whispering to him, "Honey, please consider staying invisible next time, it would be much more effective."

"Couldn't much longer."

"Loki? Why are you a Smurf?!" Tony asked, taking out a couple agents who were trying to shoot at Steve.

"Smurf?" Loki asked, shooting down a man trying to open the main door to call for help.

"Yeah, little blue creature."

"Aw," Victor cooed, "My little Smurf."

Loki's eyes flashed and he stabbed another agent, "Do not, Victor."

"Alright, Kiki." They both removed their stolen combat clothes now that the devices power source was removed.

This pet name placated Loki until the main door burst open, revealing a large rectangular room. "When did that happen?" He asked.

"Renovations." Tony explained, shooting into the room full of agents trying to take down the Hulk and Thor. It was like a room blanketed in ants.

"Kiki, darling?" Victor nudged him.

"Yes?"

"I'd  _love_  to see you smite these bastards."

"I don't think I have the power."

"Kiki-" Victor began to tease Loki, then someone shot him. The bullet hit right between two armor plates and dug into his shoulder, knocking him back.

"Victor!?" Loki turned from his fallen partner angrily as more bullets flew by his head.

Natasha and Bruce perked up as they watched, having personally missed this part.

Loki roared, grabbing the device from before, attaching his staff to it, and pooling all his magic into it. He released the pent up energy and tossed the device into the main hallway, where it exploded into blue and green light. The magic bomb he'd created froze everything over.

Thor's lightning crackled and he managed to emerge from the seven foot layer of ice now coating the room. The Hulk began pulling himself out, though his head was currently the only thing above the ice. "Shit…" Tony gasped, stepping back from the sloping layer of frost and snow still seeping from the room.

Loki looked like he could care less and ran to Victor's side. "Victor?! Victor!?" He shook him, pulling up some strings of magic that flittered over his chest. Loki frowned, then slapped Victor, "You asshole!" The god jerked the mask off and Victor laughed.

"It's nice that that motivated you."

"Don't do that ever again!"

Victor rose, and seeing that Steve and Tony were preoccupied trying to help Thor get his leg out of the ice, he swung Loki into his arms, "I think the Avengers can take care of the rest for now. Let's gather the children and grab some breakfast. I'm starving."

"Me too!" Scarlet shouted.

"Me three!" Silver agreed.

"Yeah, I'm up for food," Clint sighed, "Juuuust let me bomb this helicopteeer." An explosion followed. "Boom. Alright, where should I meet you guys?"

"Avengers tower?" Winter offered.

"Sounds good." Victor flew them to the building, where they waited at the bottom floor for the others to return. In half an hour they were all together and Loki offered them his arms.

"I believe there is an… ice cream shop that was near the edge of the city. Is that an acceptable place?"

"Of course!" Clint grinned, "I can finally get you all to try the sweet nectar of mortal life!"

Loki rolled his eyes and teleported them.

They walked in and ordered from a very terrified looking woman. They curled up in a booth at the back, listening to the sounds of dying battle in the distance, contentedly eating their dessert.

They each caught up on what the others had done, and as the next hour drew to a close, the Avengers knew what would occur.

Tony burst through the shop door, his suit still on, and he stilled at the sight of the six people eating ice cream and laughing. Steve was quick to follow, Thor next, then Natasha, and finally Bruce with a loose pair of shorts on, nothing else. The groups locked eyes with each other.

Victor whispered to Loki, "Can you teleport?"

"No, I'm very sorry…"

Under the table they squeezed each other's hands, "That's alright. I'm here with you."

The feed went black.

* * *

_**Fin.** _

* * *

The Avengers all looked to each other.

Tony spoke first, "So...do we tell them about this?"

"Let's let them see each other first," Steve offered, "If Scarlet or Silver tells them, then we won't have to."

"Ah, good," Tony smiled, relieved, "Responsibility isn't on us. Alright, let's get them."

While Steve and Thor went down to collect the prisoners and escort them one at a time up the elevator, the others prepared the main room so that the 'Evil League of Evil' could relax in there. They then vacated the area, going to the security room. Scarlet came first, then her brother. When they saw each other they gave each other a big hug before parting.

Scarlet immediately confessed to showing the Avengers the tapes.

Silver seemed upset before nodding, "We need to tell the others."

Scarlet's expression fell, "But-"

"No buts."

She nodded.

Next came Clint, then Bucky. After that was Loki. He swooped in and wrapped his arms around all four, holding them close. He still was in his Jotun form, and Clint yelped at the contact.

"Relax, Barton."

"Yeah, then don't freeze me."

Loki rolled his eyes but Scarlet interrupted any further comment, "Mom, I… I need to tell you something."

"Hm?" He frowned, "What is it?"

"I… I lied about deleting the security footage… I only diverted it to a separate source, so that in case something happened I could send it to someone at the last minute… I gave it to the Avengers"

Loki seemed stern, his face placid, and Scarlet shrunk back, whispering an apology. Loki grabbed her shoulders, making her look at him. Suddenly a grin split his features and he hugged her, "You brilliant girl! You had a back up plan this entire time!" He laughed as Victor entered. Victor ran and pulled Loki into his arms, looking as if he would crush the god. As he held him, Loki explained the situation, and Victor reciprocated the look of pride.

"We'll make a supervillain out of you yet!" He laughed, moving to pick up and swing the girl around in a hug. "So, what are we all up here for? Did they explain it to you?"

"No," Winter shrugged. "Not a clue… Though I have to ask...what all was on the surveillance data…?"

"Urm…" Scarlet became nervous again, " _Everything."_

Loki and Victor flushed, shifting in embarrassment while Winter stiffened, face draining of all color. "So...do you think Steve heard…?"

"Most likely, yes."

Winter fell onto the couch, sitting there. "Oh…"

"I'm sorry, Uncle Winter."

He shook his head, voice barely more than a whisper, "It's fine… you did what you thought was best."

Before anyone could say anything, Steve walked in, "Bucky…? Can I talk to you?"

Winter took a deep breath, nodding. He hung his head, looking like a man walking to the gallows as he followed Steve into the elevator and back to the Captain's level.

He panicked, even before they reached the level, "Steve, I'm so sorry, I promise, I won't ask anything of you… just don't leave me… I just want to be your friend…" Tears were overflowing from his eyes, "I can live with that… I can-"

Suddenly Winter was up against a wall, thoughts flying through his head.

_Oh god, you pissed Steve off._

**What do I do?  
** _Just let him yell and get it all out-_

Then his thoughts stopped completely when a pair of soft lips captured his.

He blinked, closer to Steve than ever before.

_Kiss him back!_

**Oh-Oh! Right!**

He moved his hands to Steve's hair, gripping it tightly as he pressed further against him, shocked that he was blessed enough to experience this. He still couldn't believe that Steve would kiss him, there had to be a reasonable explanation.

_Is he just shutting us up?_

**Maybe it's a pity kiss.**

_Maybe it's-_

Steve pulled back, eyes dark, whispering, "I love you, Buck…"

_...D-did our heart just-_

**Explode? Yes… I think it just did.**

_I think we're crying._

**We're definitely crying.**

" _ **I love you, Steve…"**_  Something inside him clicked… Barnes and Winter came together in that moment and it felt… right. He felt whole again.

Steve made him feel whole again.

Bucky kissed Steve this time, holding onto him desperately, both men so engrossed in the action that they didn't notice that Bucky had been backed against the control panel, changing their destination. Tony had decided that the whole "multiple buttons can be pressed at once" thing was annoying if you changed your mind, so every time you pressed a button that was the next floor you would go to.

The elevator opened to the security room.

A cat-call was what got them to stop kissing and they looked out the door to see most of the Avengers standing in the room. Natasha snapped a picture of the two, a grin on her face. Bucky shifted, about to yell at them, when his movement hit another button and the doors closed. "Goddamnit, Stark…" Bucky hit the button for their level again.

Steve grabbed him, about to kiss him when Tony's voice interrupted, coming over the intercom, "So, we have a late night press conference in 50, I need you ready in 20. You guys think you can be done by then?"

Bucky growled, "That had better be 20 hours-"

"Nope, Minutes. Don't try anything other than getting some nice clothes on, I need the Captain there."

Bucky swallowed, trying to gain control, but Steve squeezed his hand, "It's okay, Buck. We can finish this afterwards."

Bucky smiled lovingly at his heart, "Of course…"

* * *

Four explanatory hours, 23 cups of coffee, 2 bags of smuggled popcorn, 1 publicly proclaimed supervillain relationship, 2 adoptions, and one very tired but excited nation later, Bucky and Steve stumbled back into  _their_  level of the Avengers tower. Bucky face-planted into the couch and Steve joined him, barely awake enough to drag his partner into his arms so they could snuggle.

As their eyes closed and their breathing eased, Bucky whispered something he'd never believed he'd be able to say, "I'm yours, Steve Rogers."

He felt his right hand grabbed and moved by Steve to Steve's heart. "As I am yours, James Barnes."

"Call me...Bucky…" Darkness closed around him, but this time it was okay, because Steve was with him.

 


	10. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late updating, I've been really busy, but that's no excuse for taking so long, so I'll try to get the next chapter to you before next weekend (expect picnics and the Evil League of Evil to be involved). I wrote this hastily and with no filter, so please forgive me for any writing errors and my lame silly-ness leaking through... even more than usual. XD

Winter woke up alone, again.

It had been three days since Steve and he had kissed. They'd woken up, held hands for a bit, ate breakfast together… But then Steve began to lose his confidence. He'd get nervous, stutter, and eventually had begun to avoid Winter. It hadn't even taken a full day, and his heart was breaking.

He didn't want to get out of bed.

What other excuses would he hear today? How "busy" would Steve be?

_I told you not to get your hopes up._

**I told YOU not to be so affectionate.**

The memory of how cuddly and open he'd been about his love for Steve that first morning flashed before his eyes... Bucky drew his pillow over his face, hiding his blush of shame and embarrassment from the world and trying to suffocate the memories.

Why did he have to screw this up?

He sighed, releasing the pillow and moving to get out of bed, only to fall, tangled in the sheets. He growled in annoyance and lay there.

_Oh floor, you understand me… Always there to support me when I fall. Either warm or cool when I need it. Fuzzy when I need a hug, hard when I need a pat on the back…_

**You're so goddamned weird, Barnes.**

_Come on, you know that we have something special with the floor._

Rolling his eyes, Winter disentangled himself from his sheets and stood up, sulking his way into the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower. He threw on his "sad-day" pjs, as Nat had come to call them: A pair of grey sweats that hung low on his hips, with an overly large Black Sabbath t-shirt he'd stolen from Thor that hung all the way down his thighs. Thor had let him take it since it was too big even for him. No one was really quite sure where Tony had gotten the size of T-shirt needed to dwarf the Thunder God, but Winter was sure he'd special ordered it that way on purpose.

He took a deep breath, ready to walk into the empty level of the Avenger's tower dedicated to him and Steve, when he scented...flowers?

Confused, he opened the door, wondering if Clint had written the wrong level designation for a 'spider gift' again. Last time that happened, Bruce came to Clint with a rejection of love when the scientist had walked in to see his lab covered in rose petals and chocolate boxes. Clint had been entirely confused until he realized what had occurred, consequently having to awkwardly explain to Natasha that her Valentine's day gift was two floors up and already half eaten.

He rubbed his eye sleepily as he found a small but strong smelling floral arrangement resting on the table in the living room. It was really quite beautiful… he started to wonder if Clint had actually gained some taste until he read the note, in Steve's sharp handwriting:

"I know I've been busy lately, but I promise to make it up to you today. ~ Love, Steve."

_How swe-_

**Shut up.** Winter sighed sadly letting the note drop and moving the flowers into his room, his heart heavy,  **I bet it was one of the other Avengers.**

_Why would they do that?_

**Why would Steve ignore me for three whole days and suddenly leave me a pot of flowers?**

_He's never dated anyone before, dumbass._

Pausing as he adjusted the flowers on his nightstand, Winter's eyes widened as he remembered this little fact. The closest Steve had ever gotten to dating anyone was that Carter woman. He frowned as he sat down on the bed, pulling the small note from the flowers with him. He toyed with the pinkish ribbon that had held the card, thinking this over.

**So… you were too forward?**

_Maybe…_

_**We're so fucking stupid…** _

Winter lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, running the serrated edges of the ribbon between his fingers.

_Wonder what he has in mind for today?_

**Probably just read to us again.**

Winter smiled, comforted as Barnes agreed with him. That would be nice.

_Maybe he'll let us hold him…_

**What if he kisses us again?**

_Don't get too hopeful… But I really hope he does!_

Winter laughed at their train of thought, realizing how stupid they sounded.

**I sound like a heartsick dame…**

_Well, that's basically what we are right now._

**Well shit. I bet Hydra's proud.**

He grinned and shook his head, throwing his left arm over his eyes, trying to hold back his chuckle. He really couldn't believe he was acting like this, even over Steve, even when he'd done this a hundred times before with little things.

_James lay back on his cot, playing with his dog tags carelessly, more focused on the daydream playing out just beyond the wooden ceiling above him. He was imagining returning home to Steve. He would leave this godforsaken war ground and go back to that dingy apartment where he would see that little blonde guy running about cooking their dinner. Would he make something special? Would he...would he run up and hug him? Would he let him hold him close to his heart a little longer than usual?_

" _Barnes!" He jolted and looked over to his side, seeing his commanding officer glaring down at him, "Get your mind off of your gal back home and drag it outside right now, we have orders! Move it!"_

_Blushing profusely, James shouted, "Yessir!"_

**We're fools.**

_It's undeniable._

Sighing, Winter got up again, setting the note on his table and stepping back outside his room. He went to the kitchen and opened up the fridge, shocked to see that everything was gone except a plate with kiesh on it. It had another handwritten note, this time with a red ribbon. "Made this for you, hope you like it! ~Steve"

Winter chuckled again as he pulled the plate out, kicking the door closed behind him.

**He's so gay.**

_Thankfully he's gay for us._

He gently nibbled on the small offerings of food as he moved to the couch, sitting down to find that the remote had a little note attached to it via a blue ribbon. "Watch the news. ~Steve"

_What does he have planned…?_

Turning on the TV, Winter found that the channel was already on the news, so he tucked his legs beneath him and watched. The weather was going to be nice and sunny… He waited for something significant when the screen switched to the anchors. A woman smiled, "This just in, the Stark Botanical Gardens will still be closed today, even though it promised to open yesterday. As we've heard, there's a new segment of the building they're adding on that will actually simulate winter so as to provide a natural habitat for certain types of flora... There's going to be real snow and everything!" She laughed as if delighted by the idea.

Winter shut off the TV and smiled, shaking his head. If that's what Steve wanted him to see… He moved to the closet and looked inside, where there was a new coat. Over the shoulders of the leather jacket hung an overly patriotic scarf that made Winter grin. Attached to the hanger was a small note with white ribbon, "Dress warmly for tonight! ~Steve"

Sighing, Winter went back into his room and changed into his combat clothes, since they were the only ones he'd ever worn outside before. When he left his room he ran into Steve, who'd been waiting outside the door, smiling. Winter blushed and moved back, afraid to be in too much contact with Steve, when he was pulled back towards him into a suffocating embrace. He reciprocated the hug and nuzzled Steve's chest, "Missed you…"

"I missed you too, Buck…" A kiss on the forehead surprised him and he looked up into Steve's eyes. "Are you ready?" He frowned down at Bucky's combat clothes.

He nodded shyly, a little worried now that he realized he wasn't exactly dressed for a date. Steve took it in stride though and offered his arm, "Shall we?"

"Um, sure! But, don't I need my coat and everything?"

"Of course!" Steve flushed, realizing his mistake, "Urm...do you still want me to escort you there?"

When he met Winter's eyes again, both began laughing hysterically at how awkward they were. Winter reached out and grabbed Steve's shoulder, between laughs saying, "I wish I'd given you more than dance lessons, Stevie! Christ, you're far too tense."

"Hey! Says you!" Steve gave him a friendly punch to the chest.

"Hush, I'm obviously the one being courted. It's socially acceptable for  _me_ to act all nervous and shy. Don't you know that?"

"W-well...You're James Buchanan Barnes! You should know almost everything about dating!"

"Well, James is a little in shock now that his wingman is acting like this, so I don't really have his advice at the moment."

Steve laughed and buried his face in his hands, "God, Buck, I don't know…" He leaned against the wall and sighed, peaking through his fingers at Winter, "Just... can I just take you on a date?"

"Were you not going to take me on a date…? I thought that was the whole point of all this."

"Of course it was, I just mean…" He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to think out his next words, "I like how we usually are. Can't I just take you on a date and we act like usual?"

Winter cocked his head to the side, miming being deep in thought, before shaking his head, "Sadly no. James says if you're going to take us on a date you have to do it properly. So, Steve Rogers," He was unable to stop from grinning as he offered his hand to his friend, "Are you gonna treat me like a lady or not?"

Steve smiled and to Winter's surprise, gracefully bowed his head and took Winter's hand in his, kissing the back of it gingerly before raising his eyes. "I guess I have no choice."

In a motion so quick Winter couldn't process it until it was finished, Steve swung him up into his arms and began carrying him to closet. "S-Steve!"

"You asked to be treated like a lady, and why should a lady have to tire herself out walking  _before_  our date starts?"

Winter sighed, "Well, aren't you the smooth one, Rogers?"

"I did learn from the best."

"I never taught you this." Winter nuzzled Steve's chest over his heart.

"Well, then I guess I'm just a natural." Winter snorted as he was gently set down and Steve opened the closet door, removing the jacket carefully and holding the scarf as he helped Winter put the coat on. After Steve zipped up the front for him, he carefully wrapped the scarf around Winter so that it would cover his mouth and nose as well. He softly brushed Winter's hair from below the scarf and kissed his forehead, "All bundled up?"

Winter nodded, glad that the scarf would hide the ridiculous blush he was sporting. He was still having issues feeling comfortable without his protective mask, so he was also grateful that when they stepped outside the tower a few minutes later he had the scarf to replace the sensation of facial armor. Steve took his hand and guided him to their car.

The drive to the gardens took them almost all the way across the city, and was filled with silence punctuated only when Steve pointed out somewhere he would eventually like to go with Winter. The extended periods of quiet weren't so bothersome though, because he was holding Steve's hand. It was his left hand, so he couldn't feel Steve's warmth, but it didn't matter. It was the fact that they were connected in this moment which made him happy.

When they arrived, Winter was stunned by the beauty of the gardens, even from the outside. The building was tastefully surrounded and enveloped in ivorys and climbing flowers. Inside, there was only the feel of nature, despite the locale being a busy city. The sounds outside were instantly cut off as the doors closed behind them and a deep, earthy scent infused their air.

Steve slid his hand over to Winter's and guided him quietly through some of the rooms, letting him enjoy the gardens before leading him to a darkened hallway. Walking through here, the air became colder so that Winter buried his nose further in his scarf. The door they came to was freezing cold to the touch and inside…

Winter widened his eyes and stepped through the door, holding his hands out to touch the falling white flakes. It really did snow here… "How?"

"I asked Tony, but it was all Greek to me…"

"I know how to speak the-"

"I meant I didn't understand it." A nip on the tip of his ear startled Winter and he shyly ducked his head from Steve, who just drew him close, "I asked him if he could possibly make a place like this for you. I know you said that you missed the cold sometimes, and I didn't want you to wait all summer. This room has a couple of trees and bushes that flower only during the winter, and some snowdrops… I know how much you used to like those when we were younger."

Winter walked in further, a little dazed, looking around. The room had a large circular center area that held a tree, surrounded by some snowdrops. A path surrounded it and on the outskirts of the room were bushes and lichen, giving the sense of the Tiapa he had grown used to over the past few decades. He walked through the couple inches of snow that had collected and wandered about the path. Steve stayed back, letting Bucky explore by himself.

Winter crouched by a snowdrop that hung over into the pathway, gently pushing it back into it's designated area. He stayed in that position for a while, going completely still. Steve could imagine him in the Russian wastelands, hunting. It made his stomach churn until he saw Winter smiling softly, as he drew his fingers through the snow, as if seeing an old friend. They weren't even gloved.

It was then that Steve approached Bucky, kneeling beside him to take his hands, muttering, "I forgot gloves…"

"I only need one…" Winter shrugged.

"So we're one short." He kissed Winter's hand and drew it to his chest, "Do you like it here, though?"

"I love it, Steve… Can we come here often…?"

"Of course…" Steve lifted Winter's scarf from over his mouth, accidentally covering his eyes, and kissed him gently.

Winter chuckled as they broke apart to breathe, the scarf falling back into place, "You're ridiculously cute sometimes, you know that, Stevie?"

Steve blushed, looking down, "Shut up…"

Winter grinned, nuzzling Steve's neck through the scarf, tickling him and making the supersoldier giggle, "See? Adorable!"

The two laughed a bit before getting up to walk around in the circular pathway, snuggling as close as possible to each other. After a while, they decided to build a giant snowman in the middle of the path, etching a small arc-reactor into the middle section and making the top into the general shape of the Iron Man mask. A little present to Tony.

As they worked, Winter began to realize that Steve hadn't told him if Tony had asked for anything in return...which he always did. As they stepped back to admire the finished Frost-iron man, and Steve rested his head on Winter's shoulder, he knew he had to ask.

"What did you do in return for this room?"

"...I had to take his patrol shift as well as my own the past couple days so that he could spend some more time with Pepper."

"That's why you've been gone?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Buck…"

Winter kissed Steve's head through his scarf, "Don't be. This is the best gift you could have given me."

Steve mumbled incoherently in that humble way of his, embarrassed at the praise. Winter pulled his scarf down to his neck and tilted Steve's head up so he could kiss him. When they moved apart, Steve asked, "So...did I do well for my first time?"

"First time?" Winter blinked, "You never planned a date before and this...this is your first time?"

"Y-yeah… Why, is something wrong?" Steve shifted nervously.

"No, you punk." He drew Steve close, kissing him again, "This is just a better date than any I've ever planned."

"What about that one ti-"

"No. Nothing. This is the best."

They just smiled at each other for a bit before Steve startled and put the scarf back over Bucky's nose, "Y-Your nose was getting all red…"

Winter laughed, "I think I can handle it, Stevie. And where's your scarf, anyway?"

"I don't need one," He grinned, "Serum, remember?"

Winter rolled his eyes, "That's right, that's right… So, superman, can we go back home?"

Steve perked up at the term 'home,' nodding emphatically, "Of course!"

Just as they were about to leave there was a knock on the door to the room and they looked as Nat peaked in, "Hi, can I just get a quick pic of you two…?"

Feeling particularly playful today, Winter snuggled lovingly into Steve's side, making himself seem smaller, and gave Nat the biggest smile he could, knowing she could only see his cheekbones. Steve held him tightly as Nat held up her phone and snapped a few pictures, having to retake some because the mittens she was wearing got in the way.

As they walked out afterwards, Winter asked her why she was wearing mittens instead of gloves.

"Clint bought them for me...so...you know." She shrugged, "I have to wear them."

The two men laughed and Winter looked to Steve, "If you buy me anything that looks that ridiculous, I'm never going to wear it."

Nat bristled, "What about that stupid scarf?"  
Winter stopped, pulling the scarf down off his nose stretching it in front of his face to peer at it, "What's stupid about it? I love it."

"...Really? It's tacky." Nat frowned at Winter's obvious confusion.

"Tacky?" Winter seemed hurt, "It's not tacky...It reminds me of Steve in his old suit."

"Steve's old suit is the definition of tacky."

"Then…" Winter furrowed his brow, legitimately confused, "Tacky has become synonymous with arousing?" Steve choked on air and Nat burst out laughing, making him even more confused. "What…?"

Steve punched Bucky's shoulder "B-Buck, don't say things like that."

"Oh, no, Cap." Nat said as she laughed, "I'm sure he just meant arousing the American Spirit."

"If the American Spirit is my penis than-"

"Bucky!"

"What? You have to admit, you looked sexy as hell in that suit... Though I have to say, the new one is more form fitting…" His eyes darkened as he looked Steve up and down, "Can you put it on when we get home…?"

"Whoa, there, Bucky Bear." Nat patted Winter's back, "You know the rules, you gotta wait until the third date, at least. We don't want Steve to get the impression that you're easy."

"Well, I'm easy for him."

Steve, meanwhile, was floundering in the background as the conversation developed, his face redder than a tomato.

Bucky took Steve's hand and as they made their way outside the two ex-spies began to integrate more patriot puns into their conversation about just what Bucky would like to do to Steve. The poor Captain finally dragged Bucky from Nat and pulled him into the car, only to sit there in embarrassed silence for a couple minutes. It had been a long time since he'd heard Bucky say such shocking things, and never in reference to him, but he knew that it was Bucky, not Winter who had been talking.

It was a conflicting feeling for Steve. Joy that another piece of Buck was back, horror that he had heard such...explicit things. Sung to the tune of the national anthem. About him.

Parts of him mostly.

He shook his head and started the car. It took about ten minutes of silence before Bucky turned to him and asked, "So...can you wear the suit when we get home…?"

Steve didn't say anything.

He didn't say anything when he got out of the car and helped Bucky out of his side. He didn't say anything when he practically dragged them into the elevator. He didn't say anything when he dragged him into his level. He didn't say anything when he sat Bucky down on the sofa and left. And he didn't say anything when he returned wearing his new suit.

Bucky grinned, finally saying what he had thought since the first time Steve had dragged him off that cold Hydra table into his arms, "Oh Captain, My Captain..."

Finally, Steve said something. "J-jeez, Buck… Don't look at me like- What are you doing with that scarf?"

"Adding some more...tacky color." Bucky draped the cloth over Steve's shoulders gently.

"...You mean that in  _your_  definition...don't you?"

"What do  _you_ think?" Bucky backed him into a wall.

"I'm thinking yes…"

"You would be correct, Captain… Now, let's see if I can't repay you for a wonderful date…"

"Now, I thought you said the best?" Steve chuckled nervously.

"You're right, I did. Guess I'll just have to work a bit harder."

* * *

"You know…" Steve lay in bed on his stomach, facing the foot of the bed, hiding his face in a pillow, "I thought the person who took someone else out on a date was the man in the relationship."

Bucky walked into their bedroom, grinning as he moved the 'tacky' scarf from in front of Steve so he could place a tray of food there instead. "You know, you weren't complaining too much last night."

"Bucky!"

"Yeah, you did a lot more of that."

"Did you treat your dames this way the morning after?"

"No. I only reserve this behavior for my special someone." He leaned down and kissed Steve's head, ruffling the golden halo of hair before he got up again. "Eat and relax, love. This is all I could find in the pantry… Clearing out the fridge yesterday was not the best idea."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be."

Bucky hit the button for Clint's level, during the wait expecting the normal inner conversation between him and Barnes.

He panicked for a moment, realizing that Barnes wasn't...there.

Where was…

He shook his head, trying to find Winter as well.

They were… there.

But they weren't speaking, they were blending together.

After having two separate consciences it felt strangely wholesome to know that they were intermingling easily. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to strike up a conversation within himself. There was an instantaneous relay of emotions from both Barnes and Winter.

Bucky shook himself one more time and walked into Clint's level, shooting covert glances around as he stole an armful of food from his fridge. On the way back down he came to terms with this new change. The melding of his two sides. They were still separate in some areas, but mostly they were one being.

Bucky.

He walked back in, setting the food up in the kitchen. As he did so, Steve shuffled in, easing onto a counter stool. He watched Bucky move around smoothly. There were no momentary pauses, no changes in expression denoting an inner conversation… After thirty minutes of uninterrupted silence Steve had to ask, "So… how's your old self…?"

Bucky moved to sit by Steve after setting a timer on the oven, a small smile playing on his lips. He laced his fingers through Steve's and kissed him gently before answering, "Starting to come back to me."

Steve looked sheepishly to the side and whispered, "You think last night helped at all with that?"

Bucky grinned, "I think so."

The elevator doors dinged as the two men leaned in closer to kiss each other. Bucky turned to meet Clint's glare from across the room. "Did you two steal my food?"

"No."

"Liar."

"How did you know?"

"Buck, you stole food?" Steve looked between the two.

"Yes! JARVIS told me so."

"Damn."

"Why did you take my food?!"

"Steve needed nourishment after last night."

"What happened last night?"

"Well-" Bucky felt Steve's hands wrap around his mouth.

"Nothing. We just didn't have any food in the fridge that's all."

Clint narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something before he pointed to Bucky's neck with a gasp, "Is that a hickey?!"

Bucky moved Steve's hand when his grip had faltered at Clint's revelation, "I know, right!? I didn't think he had it in him."

"Wait, so did you-"

"Yeah we-"

"WHY MUST YOU GUYS BE SO COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT FONDUE?!" Steve shouted, trying to hide his face in his hands.

"Damn, that's kinky, I didn't know we had fondue here."

"No, no, Steve just thinks that 'fondue' means sex."

"Wh- How did that happen?"

"Well you see-"

"THAT IS IT. CLINT. LEAVE. THAT'S AN ORDER."

"Whoa, hey, Cap, chill. Wait, why are you wearing your suit?"

"GET OUT."

"Okay, okay."

Bucky laughed hysterically as Clint retreated. He pulled Steve into his arms, "I love you, Steve."

"I love you too, Buck… Please don't tell people about the fondue thing."

"Then don't keep using the word as a euphemism for sex."

"It just pops out! I don't mean to!"

"I know, it's just one more thing I love about you…"

 


	11. The Queen of Latveria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm sorry I didn't update sooner on my last chapter. I hope you enjoy this and the upcoming chapters, because I'm looking forward to writing them :)

Bucky had found peace recently. While James and Winter were still separate, their little 'chats' had developed a quicker and smoother exchange than before, allowing him to still be aware of his surroundings while they talked, instead of becoming distracted.  
Yes, this was partially why he'd found peace.

The other being that most of the day was spent snuggling and going on dates with Steve.

Of course, the dates were private, as he and Steve were still apprehensive about making their relationship public. Mostly this was due more to him being associated with extensive amounts of destruction when he was under Hydra's influence, however there was also the concern over how the public might react to them both being male. Nat assured them that her private Twitter account (Tony wasn't even sure how she'd pulled off the level of security that thing had. He called it a veritable social media tank of secret Stucky fangirling activities) showed just how many people supported them and that it wasn't the forties anymore, that people were more accepting, but some things were still ingrained in the back of their minds.

Like fear.

Bucky opened his eyes at this thought, his gaze falling immediately on the man curled up in his arms. His golden halo of hair was a mess, a small smile resting on his lips as he breathed easily. Bucky tightened his grip instinctually when the notion of loss slipped inside his heart.

He was terrified of losing Steve, terrified his duty to the public, to the country, would tear them apart. He was scared he might never have this happiness again simply because he was in love with a man.

But how could anyone blame him?

It was Steve Rogers… Bucky was convinced every single person was at least a teensy bit in love with him.

His grip tightened even more as he dwelled on this problem, causing Steve to wake, frowning. "H-hey, Buck. You're...squishing me."

Immediately he moved his arms, so that they only rested around Steve lightly, "Sorry…"

"Is something wrong?" Steve always had this concerned expression whenever he asked a question he knew the answer to, but was more worried that he wouldn't get an honest reply than get what the answer was.

So Bucky sighed. That was the worst thing about Steve. He always knew in his heart if you were lying, and that hurt him more than anything. Above all else, honesty was what Steve treasured. So honesty was all Bucky could give him, "Yeah… Yeah I just… was thinking about what people think of this… of us."

Steve's expression dropped slightly and he nodded, "Eventually I'm sure we'll find a way to make everyone forget about the whole incident before."

Before Bucky could clarify and talk about the fact he was more worried that people might not react well to Captain America being gay, Clint rushed in the room. "Dammit, Clint. Is this your duty? To ruin every moment I'm having with Steve?"

"Sorry, but you're gonna wanna hear this. Come on up to the lounge, it's… Just hurry."

"JARVIS couldn't have told us?" Steve rose, stretching, distracting Bucky momentarily as his skintight shirt outlined the lean muscles as they-

"Sorry, sir, he was far too excited. Though I agree. This is rather...interesting." JARVIS replied.

Bucky cleared his throat, getting up and cracking his neck, "Well, we better get going then." Clint darted to the elevator and held the door with barely controlled patience, jittering. "God, Clint, you look like a fucking puppy, bouncing around like that."

"I'm sorry! This is just- you just have to see it to believe it."

Steve shot Bucky a glance that said, 'He's finally lost it, but let's humor him.'

When they entered the elevator, the two super soldiers leaned back against the elevator wall. Bucky's right hand held Steve's to his mouth, rubbing the other man's knuckles against his lips while he thought through what could have possibly make Clint act like this.

Had the new Dark Souls come out?

Had he finally beaten the first Dark Souls?

Did Nat propose to him?

He was interrupted by the door opening and Clint grabbing their wrists and dragging them from the elevator, grinning. He pulled them all the way to the lounge space Tony had set up so that the usually tangled array of seats were now ordered around a couple screens hanging from the wall. Tony was bouncing on the balls of his feet grinning at the displays, while Nat was quickly dashing through some information on them with a look of joy. Thor seemed...to have exploded with happiness. The god had tears rolling down his eyes, was shaking with little bouts of uncontrollable laughter, and had his fist clasped over his heart as if moved. Bruce was sitting down and rubbing his eyes and peering at the screens in disbelief. When Steve and Bucky finally saw what was on the computers, they started laughing.

There was the picture of a virtual invitation, designed carefully, and not without tasteful flare, that went something like this:

_"Mr. Victor von Doom and Mr. Loki Laufeyson request the honor of your presence at their marriage-"_

At this point the neater handwriting of Victor's was cut off with a jagged ink line, as if his hand were slapped away, and a more elegant script took over, obviously Loki's:

_"This is ridiculous. Avengers, assemble at Victor's and my wedding this coming weekend or I swear I shall resume my efforts of taking over New York. If there is nothing else in it for you, there's a Winter Picnic being held."_

Once again the script was cut off as if the writer were forcibly stopped, Victor taking over:

_"Forgive my fiance, you know how brides get around this time. I'm certain you'll all attend knowing that at the end of the picnic Loki will become the Duchess of Latveria."_

This time Loki's writing wasn't preceded with random ink smears denoting mild violence:

_"If you must know, I'll not be called Duchess, but the Queen of Latveria. If I'm to be female royalty, I'll only settle for the best. I also hear it has a humorous double meaning in this case. And no. I'll not wear tiaras or crowns. I'm quite done with such things."_

Victor tacked on one last thing.

_"Yet still he wears the horn helmet…"_

That was all the Avengers needed.

Tony set-up flights, they got a notice telling them rooms at the castle were provided and that Loki had insisted everyone dress casually (for an unknown reason). The heros packed, set the Avenger's agents up so that they could effectively divert the majority of disasters till their return, and boarded Tony's private jet.

The ride there was filled with talk of what the hell a Wedding Winter Picnic was supposed to be like - in Latveria of all places. Ideas ranged from fun sledding and snow activities to elegant displays of ice sculptures. All agreed though that they hoped the Doombots were catering.

When they arrived, they were greeted by the familiar shimmering outline of a boy and the untamed passion of his twin. Silver quickly loaded their luggage into some vehicles meant to ferry them to the castle, while Scarlet hovered some out and adjusted them when her brother placed them in trunks too haphazardly. They greeted Clint and Winter warmest of all, tackling them with hugs on sight.

The ride there, Clint and Winter caught up with the twins, who told tales of settling in, getting used to the cold, and waiting for Loki to come home from Asgard. It had been merely a month since the Evil League of Evil had separated, and they had expected Loki to be gone still. Instead, not a day had passed after arriving at Latveria and the god was back at their door, ready to take over as their mother. When asked by his new children how he'd settled things in Asgard so quickly, he had waved them off with a dismissive, "That realm means nothing to me now, so let us forget it."

At the main entrance room of the castle, the twins ceased talking and left to go take their bags to their room, encouraging before their departure that the Avengers should explore.

With that goal in mind, Winter took Steve's hand and headed off in the opposite direction of everyone else, wanting to have some alone time, even if it were filled with silence as they observed the gothic features of the castle. Prolonged separation from Steve often caused Winter and James to have a slower connection, reverting back to their previous mode of communication, and Bucky didn't want that to happen again. Eventually, they came upon a pavilion-like wing. Or what appeared to be one now. The windows of a once long, wide, glass-lined hallway leading in an elegant arc out towards what appeared to be a solarium were all lifted up and out to make a 45 degree angle with the ceiling. Ice coated them so that they refracted light in intricate designs over the nearly black tile floor and the snow that creeped in from the outside.

In the middle of the past hallway, staring dreamily up into the designs, was Victor von Doom himself. He wore no armor.

He simply stood there in a tunic and breeches, arms crossed, maskless-ly smiling.

He shifted when he noticed their presence in his peripheral and waved, "Ah, it's good to see you arrived. Can you believe how beautiful this place is? Loki surprised me with it two days ago and I still can't fathom… I told him I'm going to keep it this way forever and he can paint whatever he likes with ice and light…" He waved to the intricate designs of refracted light tracing the floor, "There aren't words for such beauty…"

"It is gorgeous…" Winter looked up from the designs to the ice itself, noticing that the breadth of ice varied. It was truly as if Loki had painted the lines of frost with care and a careful eye to just how the light would shine through as the sun rose and set on either side of the pavilion.

"Where is the talented Queen?" Steve asked with barely disguised humor.

"Well," Loki's voice came from behind, "That's a difficult question. As I've been made aware, there are now four Queens in this building, though, seeing as you're looking for one that is talented, I would suggest that you ignore each other and look either in front of or behind you. But, if you're looking for the one who shall bear the title 'Queen of Latveria' in a day or so, you need only turn around."

Winter and Steve turned, though as they did so were disoriented to find Victor suddenly brushing by them with startling speed, drawn like a magnet to Loki's side. The doctor pulled the god into his arms and kissed him gingerly, moving back afterwards to look down into his eyes, "Beautiful Kiki… I fear I've been too distracted here once again. Forgive me this weakness, and forgive me for this but I have to go take care of some arrangements at the picnic site. Would you please entertain our guests for a bit?"

"Absolutely, my darling King…" Loki's fingers trailed Victor's retreating form, brushing from where they had previously dwelled upon his shoulder to his fingertips, letting his hand rest in the air where they'd parted as if having to still himself completely lest he throw himself back into Victor's arms. The soldiers were taken aback by the sickeningly sweet scene before them, actually hurting when the two supervillains had to tear themselves apart, even if only for a little bit.

Once Victor was out of sight, Loki cleared his throat and regained control, blushing fervently at his uncontrolled actions. He said nothing though, too embarrassed to think of something to say. So Winter did it for him, "Loki, did they toss you from Asgard that first day or something? You seem to have fallen a long way and hit your head."

Loki chuckled, resting his hand over half his face as he shook his head, "I have fallen terribly far, though it was over Victor and nowhere near from Asgard. And I can't have hit my head because I'm still falling… over and over I tumble... Just being near him…" Loki rested his hand over his stomach and smiled fondly, "I finally understand the phrase you mortals use that depicts butterflies trapped within one's stomach."

Steve and Winter shared a knowing glance, experiencing a similar situation themselves.

"I do hope you will be courteous enough so that when it comes time for you two to publicly announce  _your_  relationship and eventual wedding you invite Victor and I." Loki interrupted their little silent conversation.

"Of course." Bucky nodded immediately, as if finding the idea that he wouldn't invite them preposterous.

Steve smiled, slipping his arm around Bucky's waist, "I may distrust you, Loki, but after all that has happened… I would love having you at Bucky's and my wedding when the time comes."

Loki smiled and opened his mouth to say something, something likely sweet if his expression were anything to go by, but he was interrupted by Quicksilver, "Mom, Dad says he needs you to help choose flowers."

Loki's eyes softened, muttering "Oh, Victor… You're really so decisive when it comes to decor, why even ask my opinion?" He offered his apologies and rushed off, happy for any excuse to see Victor, even one so obviously contrived.

Bucky suddenly cocked his head after Loki's retreating form and frowned, "I just realized something."

"What?" Steve asked.

"We were never told whether or not Loki would wear a wedding dress."

"God...If he does I swear I will die laughing."

"I bet he could pull it off, actually."

Steve paused, thinking, "Actually, I bet he could."

"If this isn't already a thing we need to get Victor on that pronto. Loki in a wedding dress, that would be priceless."

 


	12. Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a quick chapter to write, so I thought I might as well update now. I promise, the next chapter will be about the wedding. As usual, I hope you enjoy :)
> 
> Note: When I first uploaded this to fanfiction.net, it glitched and bolded the entire thing, but because of the chapter title, I thought it was a nice coincidence, so I decided to keep it that way.

**Bucky had intended to fall asleep with Steve the night of their arrival in Latveria, but the country's marked chill invaded the castle, waking Winter within. He tucked in a sleeping, disheveled Steve, kissing his brow without thinking before turning from the room. He moved in the dark with minimal effort, and no sound to indicate his existence. The minute the cold touched his bone he became a shadow, a ghost, a figment of the imagination. It was as if the wind curled up inside of him and tore him open to become a part of itself, something intangible.**

**He was outside before he knew it, wearing nothing but a pair of slippers and pajama pants (with little bears on it, because Steve thought that was adorable). He breathed in the air and let it infuse him even more so with it's bite.**

**"Well, and here I thought I was the only one who liked the ice." Loki shifted from the darker shadows, becoming a blurred shape to his right. They waited in the snow for the light of the moon, but it seemed resistant to come out from behind the clouds.**

**"Too excited to sleep?"**

**"Yes," He chuckled, "Well, that and custom dictates that it is unlucky to see one's fiance the day of the wedding, before the ceremony, of course… So, Victor sent me from his room, but I haven't the heart to sleep alone tonight."**

**"I hope you aren't asking-"**

**"Well, I can see you'll never be offering." He chuckled. "Speaking of which, why have you left your beloved's side this night?"**

**Winter shifted, "It's the cold. It's been a while, but it brings back memories from Russia."**

**"Ah. I see. Yes, well," the god held out a hand and Winter could see the blue tint to it's darkened outline, "That's what called me out here as well. I'm rather glad this is my new kingdom, not too terribly cold, but yet it snows all year round. And while my people are a little impoverished, I shall fix that promptly. They seem rational enough to listen to reason, and passionate enough to work for the betterment of their country… I really do love Victor's people. Even if it is mostly a bunch of misfit gypsies…" He laughed, "It's the first place I can truly call home… I hope it stays this way."**

**"I'm sure it will." Winter breathed in as a gust blew past them, bracing his body against the snow that whipped it, "You have two lovely children, a wonderful fiance, and I hear you have some supportive relatives in New York… an eccentric group, to be sure, but family is family, I suppose."**

**"Why yes, I suppose so." He could hear the smile in Loki's voice, "Though I am glad this family is mostly one I chose, and not of blood. That never bodes well for the likes of me."**

**"...I must ask though… Asgard…?"**

**Winter didn't have to say anymore before Loki sighed in resignation, "I showed up as Odin, at first. Deflecting the rather concerned comments about my absence, I went straight to Odin's chambers, where I'd hidden him. I took him secretly to the main hall, bound and chained. There I called the audience of all of Asgard to me, and once all eyes were upon me, I revealed my true form and showed them Odin. I told them, and I quote, 'I have a family to care for now, and I don't have time to deal with your petty affairs. Here is your senile king, and I hope for your sake he can be half the ruler I was.' I threw him at their feet and warned that should they ever lay a finger on my family I would be liable to…" at this he gestured for words, "Torture them excessively. Eternally. And with that I simply left through one of the hidden pathways between worlds. I stopped by to tell Thor of what I had done, let him know that Odin was not to harm my Midgardian kingdom or family, and that was that."**

**Smiling, Winter clapped Loki on the back, feeling the Jotun's skin even through his thick clothes, "I'm glad nothing's happened since then."**

**"Things have indeed happened, though. Odin has finally proven inept at foreign affairs now that there is someone to compare him with, and the people are rioting for my counsel once again, however much they wish me never to set foot in their realm again. I refused on the basis that Odin was their king. Thor has yet to tell me what's become of that, but as they haven't bothered me in a week, I hope that they have forgotten of my existence. I'd rather them not interfere in my personal life. I intend to focus on my family and our country without meaningless distractions."**

**"Lofty goals for a super criminal in every existing realm."**

**"Yes, well, I aim to exceed expectation in all things."**

**"I'm sure Victor appreciates that."**

**"Oh, he certainly does." Loki chuckled low then sighed sadly, "One night and already my heart aches…" Winter watched as the god rubbed his chest absently. "How is yours fairing?"**

**"The cold numbs it...but Steve is always here." He tapped his chest over his heart, "It's the only warm part of me right now, even my past self is deadly quiet tonight."**

**"Mmmm…" Loki nodded, "Sometimes I feel that way. I wonder, what was I like when I was younger? But I cannot remember. The millennia passed by full of ghostly memories of pain, longing, loneliness… But my thoughts, my experiences, they blur and that part of me is gone forever, faded pictures in the books of Midgardians and whispers in their tales. All that's left is what time has exposed after tearing and breaking away the excess, in the process scarring what lies below."**

**Winter and he grew silent for long moments, an understanding passing between them.**

**Finally, Loki continued, "What's left is so shattered you begin to simply collapse in on yourself… I almost lost everything I was… I was about to start war in the name of Asgard, playing at Odin, when I met Victor… And then I thought to slow down. And then Thor was captured, and that entire ordeal was set in motion… Spending those few days with you, Barton, Victor, the children… I…"**

**Loki's voice caught and he shuffled in an embarrassed, shy sort of way.**

**When he began again, Winter could hear the barely restricted sobs, "I never knew what family was… I never knew…" He took a shaky breath, "I owe my life and the sanity I have finally regained to all of you."**

**Winter nodded, "I understand, it was the same for me." He pulled Loki into a side hug, an awkward thing since the god was taller than him, he was shirtless, and Loki's skin was liable to cause 2nd degree frostbite on contact. But still, it was all they needed.**

**"Ah, my apologies," Loki whispered as he pulled away, gently dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief produced from thin air, "I appear to have made myself into an emotional mess again."**

**"Don't worry, you're doing great compared to most brides… has anyone shown you Bridezillas yet?"**

**"I don't even know what that is."**

**"...I don't know whether to show you it to shock you or grant you mercy by never letting you see it."**

**"Curiosity killed the cat, and I have been told I am more feline than not, so I will defer to your good judgement rather than my own impulsive need for knowledge, however useless it is."**

**"I'll show it to you after this is all over."**

**"I am wary, but interested all the same."**

**At that moment, they heard a knock on the castle wall behind them, "Excuse me, but I don't think I got the memo for 'shirtless snow time,' or was I not invited on purpose?" They turned to meet Natasha's eyes.**

**"Lady Romanov," Loki nodded, "How are you on this lovely night?"**

**She padded out, pulling her coat around her tighter, "Strangely at home. And you? Pre-wedding jitters?"**

**"You could say that."**

**"And what about you, Winter?" She asked, punching the man lightly, "Why aren't you attending to the Captain, Soldier?"**

**"I wanted to feel the cold again."**

**"Yeah, well I think you've felt it enough." She turned to Loki, "How long has this guy been out here?"**

**"Quite some time. Though, he seems affected very little by the temperature."**

**"Yeah, well, that's Bucky for you." She shivered, "Ffffwew. It's a little brisk up here…"**

**They all laughed at that, staring out into the night.**

**They stayed quiet, letting the wind howl around them, at times it cooed, at others it screamed, but they stood still as statues. Eventually, Loki whispered, "Let us go in, before our fires come out."**

**Winter touched his chest, feeling the flame flickering inside, and he longed to be surrounded by it again, even as he missed the cold. "Yeah."**

**Natasha just nodded, touching her heart unconsciously and looking up to the tower where she and Clint were staying.**

**Before they all moved inside, though, the clouds parted slowly. It was a beautiful display in the sky as the light of the moon sliced slowly through the darkness, dancing across the airborn snow like it would within water. It bathed them gently upon the tips of it's silver tendrils and in that moment painted a ethereal picture.**

**To the left was a man colored a deep blue, with markings slipping over his skin as if cast there in shadow by the moonlight, and eyes a deep blood-like crimson. In the middle was a man with a metal arm, glinting under the very stars that marked it, and eyes darker than night itself. To the right was a woman whose hair was a living flame, dwarfed by her companions in size, but her prideful stance and steely gaze made her seem taller.**

**All three stood with their hands resting gently over their heart, as if in a relaxed salute. They all ignored the moon's sudden appearance, each staring in the direction of that which guided their lives. The light merely touched them for a couple seconds before retreating. They parted wordlessly and drifted like wraiths along the premises, unseen.**

**Winter slipped into his room to find Steve waiting with a blanket in his arms. The minute the man had sighted him the blanket was around his shoulders and a second one was pulled off the bed and wrapped around him tightly. Then Steve pulled the confused bundle closer and whispered, "Christ, how long have you been out there? You're colder than it is outside."**

**Winter smiled, burying his face in Steve's neck, causing the man to shiver at the freezing contact, "No, I'm very warm right now."**

**Steve pulled back to give him a concerned look, "I drew a hot bath for you."**

**"How did you know I was outside?"**

**"Well, it was really dark and when I tried to find the door I opened the wrong one and stepped out onto the balcony… I looked around and when the moon came out there was a flash in the corner of my eye and saw you there… you looked… happy." Steve shook his head, "I thought you'd just frozen there, but you were looking over at me."**

**"Mmm…" Bucky hummed, thawing out, "I thought I saw someone, but thought it was a trick of the light."**

**"No, I was there, and concerned as all hell. Why didn't you even put on a shirt or a- are you not wearing shoes?"**

**"Um…" Bucky looked down at his feet, slightly purple-red from the cold, and heard Steve curse in response before he was swept up and carried to the bathroom, where he was dropped straight into the boiling hot water.**

**"Don't you ever do something this stupid again! You could get seriously hurt!" Steve continued to scold him as he climbed into the tub with him, complaining even as he snuggled up against Bucky's chest. He paused though, when his ear met the skin there, "Buck… You're really warm… just right here." He drew a circle over Bucky's heart to indicate the area. "Everywhere else is freezing… how long was your hand over your heart like that?"**

**"Only a few seconds."**

**"That makes no sense…"**

**"I hear it doesn't have to."**

**Steve sighed and hid his face in Bucky's chest, "And you always called me the romantic…"**

**"I did? Now I'd like to hear what made me say that."**

**"N-no…"**

**"Tell me, or I'll just talk to Barnes and it won't be as fun."**

**"How will it not be as fun for you?"**

**"I won't get to see you stammering and blushing like this." Bucky grinned and poked Steve's red cheek playfully.**

**Steve splashed him with water, "Fine…"**

**Steve told Bucky stories about the past till the water finally became too cold to remain in and the two moved to the bed, where Steve fell asleep first, once again.**

**As Bucky held his heart close to him, he stared off into the darkness and asked Barnes to fill it with the memories Steve had told him about. He didn't even notice when he drifted into sleep, dreaming about Steve and himself when they were young.**

 


	13. A Latverian Picnic

Bucky held a plate full of interesting Latverian foods, devouring the unknown delicacies without complaint alongside Thor and Natasha, whereas the other Avengers poked at their foods with curiosity and a wary eye. Dinner was served before the wedding here, so as to keep the populace warm during the ceremony.

He had to say, the place was gorgeous. The entire area for the picnic was like a ballroom floor, but made from ice carved out three feet above the ground and covered with a thin layer of snow that allowed for traction. There were steps up to the floor, in front of which were the only breaks in the long, rectangular serving tables that lined the edges. Smaller round tables for guests made a slow spiral around the floor to the middle, where a dias stood with a clear four foot margin. There was only one path that went straight through the spiral up to the dias, and it came from the south, made so that Loki would have to walk north to reach his fiance.

The groom in question was flitting about, talking to his guests nervously, obviously wishing for the company of his beloved god. Bucky chuckled as Nat whispered to him that this was just a preview of what Steve would look like on their wedding day. Victor finally visited their table, his fingers drumming nervously on the pale blue cloth, nearly white in color, that covered the table. "Ah, hello there, greetings...and such…" He looked about, "Gods, isn't it time yet? Please, what time is it?"

Bucky took pity on the man and grabbed Nat's arm, who ignored him and continued eating as he checked the time on her wristwatch, "You have fifteen minutes."

" _Fifteen minutes?!_ " Victor sighed and covered the burned half of his face in exasperation, as if told he would have to wait another year to marry, "I'm going to behead whoever made that schedule."

Silver looked up from his food and smiled, "Beheading Mom won't help anything."

"He did this?" Victor frowned then rolled his eyes, "Of course he did, he just loves to tease me."

"I'm a child, I'm too young to know these things," Scarlett sighed into her glass of wine.

Victor's eyebrows snapped back into a 'v' and he snatched the drink from her, "And too young to drink this."

"I'm in my twenty's, I think-"

"No, and no for you Silver, set it down." He sighed, "Who gave you two this?"

They pointed to Tony, who hadn't heard the rule stating that the twins were not to be given alcohol. Tony shrugged, "I wouldn't behead someone right now, it might delay the ceremony."

Victor nodded as if this were sage advice and mumbled, "True, true, I'll get back to you on that. Silver, Scarlet, please go see how your mother is doing and come right back to let me know."

They nodded and Silver took Scarlet's hand, the two suddenly whirring away.

"They're getting better at that." Bruce noted as he consulted his phone about the identity of the meat on his plate.

"Yes, yes… Loki and I have been working with them…"

Steve spoke up, asking the question they'd all been dying to know the answer to, "So why no formal wear?"

Victor seemed surprised at the question and turned to look at him, his gaze finally focused, "Oh, because of the children."

"The children?"

"Yes, Silver and Scarlet are terribly uncomfortable in a suit and dress. Silver shifts too fast, fraying his suit, and Scarlet levitates things when she's unfocused, so…" He waved his hand to imply the last part, "In short, Loki declared that no one should dress formally since he wanted the children to be comfortable."

"That's very sweet of him." Nat smiled.

A gust of wind brought back the Twins and they told their Father that Loki was well and ready to start the ceremony. So Victor bounded happily to the dias, wearing nothing but a warm cloak and some jeans. He spoke softly with the preacher there till someone indicated that the musicians tucked to the side should begin the music denoting that it was time.

The Avengers settled in to watch two of their once most hated and feared enemies celebrate the official beginning of their lives together.

Loki wore his natural skin, a tunic, and some leather pants reminiscent of those he wore in Asgard. He strode slowly down the aisle, struggling obviously to control himself from running up to meet Victor. The two had eyes only for each other as he approached, and once he was close enough they reached out and held each other's hands.

The priest recited his words, and eventually the men recited their vows.

Victor came first, "Loki Laufeyson, I promise, from here on out, to always care for you and our children. I also promise not to cause any more dangerous explosions in the lab, or upset anyone without your permission while I act as a diplomat for our country - I know you've been worrying about that for some time." Loki gave him a look that said he should shut up because he was embarrassing him, but at the same time he couldn't quite quell his smile. "And whether you're any normal shade of human or giant, I intend to worship you like the God you are, and will always be… though I hope you won't bring too much mischief into my country."

"So you went for the humorous route, well now I feel rather ridiculous." Loki shook his head with a chuckle, "Well, to address your worry, no, I shall not be bringing too terribly much in the way of mischief, at least for a while. I do have children to think about, you know."

Victor smirked and squeezed Loki's hand, indicating that he should move on so they could go ahead and get married already.

Loki took a deep breath, "Yes, my vows… Well, I have been called Silvertongue by many, and never once has my speech been hard to craft. Always the right words sprung from my mouth unbidden, as natural as breathing… but with you, Victor von Doom, I have found I'm always at a loss. Words become not so important as the silence we share. One look, and that is all I need to know everything you feel. I envy your ability to convey this, and I hope one day soon that I, too, can learn to break down my many masks so you can see all of me with a single glance. But in the meantime, there are moments where speech is necessary, such as it is now. I struggled greatly to find the right words, spent the entire past week doing so, in fact." At this he turned to the crowd to explain, "Which, though it may seem like a short time, is how long it's been since Victor first told me that these vows were a custom of weddings here, so I was quite caught off guard."

He turned back to Victor and took his hand into both of his, waiting a second as the soft laughter died down before nodding, to himself as much as to Victor.

He took another deep breath, "As I said, words are like breathing to me, but with you, I begin to breathe anew…" He gripped Victor's hand tightly, "You brought me back to life from my lies, and my deceit...you put a hole through every mask and word I said till I was left raw before you and you showed me that you could still love what lay beneath. I promise you, and I give you my oath, my  _true_  oath, sworn upon the branches and roots of Yggdrasil, that I will no longer craft these illusions or words in any way that may separate you from who I truly am. You have my full honesty, no matter the circumstance, as you have my soul and my heart."

At this Victor gave a choked laugh, as if past something caught in his throat, and smiled, "You feel ridiculous? I was just being silly with my vows, gods… Loki…" He reached out and brushed the hair back from under one red eye, "You are my everything. I'm no wordsmith, I can't begin to come up with the words to approach even the idea of what you mean to me… I'm a recluse who, until about a month ago, would constantly speak in third person. I hope it is true what you say about my expression… Because…" He paused to think, "I have often said, 'knowledge is power. In all the universes there is no greater truth…' But now, I intend to share it all with you. I just need to learn how."

Steve leaned over and whispered to Bucky, "This is the first time I haven't heard him say 'And I do not intend to share it.'"

Loki turned to the priest, "When do we get to the married part of this? I would like to kiss Victor as soon as possible."

The man chuckled, "As soon as you're done with your vows."

Loki nodded, "Yes, yes, I'm finished. Victor?"

"Doom is finished." Victor teased, causing Loki to roll his eyes and mutter a 'Hush.'

The priest continued on reading the words required, till finally, "I now pronounce you man and...wife?" He seemed uncertain, "No one told me what you two would like me to say."

Loki chuckled, "Wife is perfectly fine, as I've already been dubbed a mother."

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Victor grinned and swooped Loki into a deep kiss, afterwards scooping him up in his arms, "Now, who wants to go home?"

Cheers were thrown all around, the cold having begun to sink deep into everyone's bones. Loki had convinced Victor to take pity on his guests and let them go after the ceremony so that they would not freeze to death. The Avengers trudged up the path towards the castle with Victor, who carried a confused Loki.

Thor was tearing up and choking back sobs, proud of Loki, but he managed to ask, "Why are you carrying my little brother, Son of Doom?"

Victor grinned, "It's customary to carry one's wife over the threshold."

"Ah, I see. Is this something I shall have to do if I plan to marry Lady Jane?" He asked, still pawing the freezing tears from his cheeks.

"Yeah." Nat smiled, "Tony carried Pepper, Clint will carry me, you will carry Jane, and Bucky will carry Steve."

"Wait-" Steve frowned, "Why am I not carrying him?"

"Steve," Nat grinned, "Really?"

"Yes, really." He seemed offended.

Loki chuckled, "Son of Rogers, it is fairly obvious where you stand in your relationship with Winter."

Bucky pulled Steve to his side and grinned down at him, "Don't pout, Steve. It's far too adorable, I won't be responsible for my actions if you continue to do so."

Steve moved his face into Bucky's chest and huffed out in annoyance, "Rude. You're all terribly rude."

* * *

That night, as they readied for bed, Steve asked, "Bucky, will you really carry me over the threshold when- if- we get married?"

Bucky twitched at the added if, but nodded firmly, "Of course. Although, post-serum Steve is going to be harder to lug around. Are you sure you don't want to find a cure so I can have my little friend back?"

He was teasing but when he turned, expecting to see Steve smiling, he found him frowning, his eyes downcast. "Do you think I should find something to make me… go back to the way I was?"

"Steve…"

"No, seriously. Be honest… Do you think that this isn't… me?" He gestured to himself.

Bucky growled, picking the man up from where he sat on the bed to make him stand. He gripped Steve's shoulders tightly and looked him straight in the eyes, "Stevie. You were very sickly as a child. While that's the body you were born with, that wasn't the one you were  _meant_ to have. I truly believe that while… while I hate that you had to endure life that way… it was important that you lived in that body. Because I think it was the perfect place to grow that magnificent heart of yours until it was ready for this body. This is the body you deserve, and the one that allows you to do what you know is right. To protect and serve. You're Captain America… This is you." He moved his hands to grip the sides of Steve's face, pulling him closer, "But to me that doesn't matter. I'll love you no matter what form you take. I don't care if you go back to being little, or you stay this strong… I don't care if you turn blue or green or whatever, I don't even care if you turn into a girl. Whatever it is that happens, as long as you have that wonderful heart of yours I'll always come back to you. I'm with you till the end of the line."

By now Steve's cheeks were covered in tear tracks and he pulled Bucky into a crippling hug, whispering, "Sometimes I see little glimpses of you, Buck, and recently I've been wondering if you're finally okay… It's so good to hear you talk like this, to know that you're… You again. Just you… My Bucky bear."

"Yeah, yeah," Bucky wheezed, embarrassed and trying to gain some sort of air from this crushing embrace, "Stevie, love your strength but- gah… can't… really breathe."

Steve immediately let go, "S-sorry, Buck…" His face was beet-red and he looked down at his toes.

Bucky took a couple breaths before he kissed Steve. "Too." He kissed him again. "Cute. You know that? You're too cute."

Blushing furiously, looking terribly affronted, Steve pouted, "I doubt many people find Captain America 'cute.'"

Bucky picked his phone up off the dresser, opened Twitter, went to Nat's page, and showed Steve the first few tweets. "Well, here are 31, oh, wait, there's more. Do you want me to-"

Steve grabbed the phone and tossed it petulantly on the dresser. "I hate that...Stucky thing. I think I have the right to privacy…"

"I think you gave that up when you became an Avenger."

He sighed sadly, unable to argue with that. "Still sucks."

"You're pouting again."

"So?" Steve mock pouted even more.

Bucky grinned and dragged Steve toward the bed with a chuckle, "Little Punk."

"I'm your size- Ah!"

"And yet I can still toss you easily."

"No fair! You have a metal super-arm from Russia!"

"Shut up, you love it."

Steve sighed as he pulled Bucky into bed with him, "Yeah, I do… But I love you more."

"I love you more!" Bucky punched him playfully on the shoulder.

"Hey! I love you the most!"

"No! I love you the most!"

"I love you infinitely." Steve nipped his nose, grinning.

"I lo-" Bucky paused and looked toward the door, which they'd left open.

"So…" The Twins were there, with Scarlet holding up her phone, "This is going to Natasha… and we also need to talk about a couple things."

"What?" Steve asked.

"Uh…" Scarlet turned off her phone and slipped it into her pocket, "We, uh… Wanted to… uh… Silver?"

Silver shimmered nervously, "We wanted to ask if you guys could offer training to us, urm… this month-ish. Cause I mean, Dad and Mom deserve a honeymoon so we thought maybe we could let them have the castle to themselves for a while."

Bucky and Steve, now sitting on the edge of their bed, looked to each other. They smiled together and turned back, both saying, "Of course."

Steve clapped his hands, "Just pack your things tonight and we can surprise your parents in the morning before we leave."

Bucky nodded, "I'm sure they'll love having a honeymoon. That's very thoughtful of you two."

The Twins smiled, echoing, "Thanks, Uncle Winter! And thanks, Uncle Steve!"

They whirled away before either could say 'you're welcome.'

Steve frowned and looked to Bucky, "We're going to need to close and lock doors."

"And nail things to the floor."

"And program JARVIS to track super-human speeds."

Bucky shook his head, "Extreme Babysitting."

"We already do that though."

Bucky frowned, "Speaking of which, what are the scientists up to?"

Steve actually seemed surprised, "I don't...know."

After a second both froze, in tandem barking, "Lab!"

* * *

Bucky glared across the plane's aisle at the sulking scientists.

Tony muttered angrily, "You didn't  _have_  to tell on us, you know."

"You shouldn't have been playing with Victor's lab."

"Or sleeping there." Steve added.

"Or dressing up the doom bots." Clint chuckled, looking through the facebook album he'd made when the arguing had drawn everyone from their rooms down to Victor's lab to find Bruce and Tony playing around.

"How did you know?" Bruce asked.

"Because, it's just the way you are. You're like small children." Steve sighed.

Scarlet frowned, turning around in her seat, "You thought to look for them after we talked to you… are you implying we made you think of small children and therefore those two?"

"Not so much implying, as stating." Bucky shrugged.

"Speaking of which, sit back down and buckle yourself in, that's unsafe."

"I'm superhuman."

"You can still be hurt if we hit turbulence and you get thrown from your seat. Sit back down and buckle in."

"But Uncle Steve-"

"No buts. I promised Loki I would keep you two safe, I don't need to incur that god's wrath upon New York again."

Suddenly Thor and Nat cooed/squeed from their seats in the back near Clint. Everyone turned to see the god and spy sharing headphones, looking at her phone. Thor spoke up, "Oh, Sir Rogers and Sir Barnes, you two are the sweetest couple, second only to my brother and his beloved."

"What do you mean by- oh, did you two just see the Twin's video?"

The scientists and Clint jumped, "What now? What did they do now?" The archer leaned over and plucked the headphone from Thor, moving the phone screen toward him. As the scientists unbuckled and ran to stand on the seats behind the group, Nat unplugged the headphones to let everyone hear. Bucky frowned, stood up, and walked into the cockpit.

Steve motioned quietly for Scarlet and Silver to turn around and buckle in, and they quickly did so. Suddenly, the plane took a nose dive and the others were thrown from their seats. Steve mentally thanked God that Bruce had finally found a medication to control the Hulk, at least for short periods of time, such as this flight.

Scarlet peaked back as the plane leveled out, and Steve pointed at the pile of superheroes lying down, groaning in the aisles. "See? That's why we put seat belts on."

The Twins nodded fervently in agreement as Thor got up and stumbled, tripping backwards over the seats and falling back onto Tony and Clint, making them scream out in protest.

Bucky walked back in calmly, taking his seat by Steve again and holding his hand, kissing it gently, "How are you, love?"

"I'm good, how are you?"

"Wonderful. How are the kids?"

"Well, ours aren't doing so well…"

"That's okay, I already knew we raised ours wrong. As long as we didn't hurt Loki's."

Tony croaked from the back, "I seek… vengeance- Ah! Thor, no! The other way! Clint stop rolling him off onto me."

"Mjolnir! Mjolnir is pressing into my chest!" Clint squeaked.

"Thor, you're crushing my boyfriend!"

"I apologize, but Bruce- Please, mortal! Get off of me!"

"I'm sorry! I tripped over Tony!"

Steve sighed, resting his head on Bucky's shoulder. Bucky kissed him and whispered, "I love our family."

" _Our_  family." Steve echoed, grinning ear to ear.

Bucky smiled back, but there was something in Steve's gaze that made him wonder if perhaps Steve was imagining a family beyond just the Avengers. Concern curled up in his gut a split second before something was tossed in their direction.

Tony was now standing on the back of a row of seats, "VENGEANCE SHALL BE MINE!"

* * *

"Loki- Yes, Loki, calm down." Steve spoke gently into the phone, "Yes, no, everything is perfectly fine."

"MOM! IT WAS TONY'S FAULT." Scarlet shouted. Steve shushed her and waved her back.

"No, Loki, it was everyone's fault. In fact it was mostly Scarlet's… she didn't mean to, she just needs to be a little more careful about what she controls when she goes into battle… No! It was mock battle… yes… In a plane… I know." He turned and made a face at Bucky to show that he was struggling. Bucky wiped some soot off his face and shrugged, handing a water bottle to Nat so she could wash some of the ash from her clothing. "I know it was irresponsible. It won't happen again. I promise."

Tony limped over from the plane wreckage, silently motioning for Thor to help extricate his leg from the armor that had been crushed inward, trapping him inside. Steve turned away from them all, unknowing that as he tried to calm the mother bear on the phone, his entire team was quietly struggling together in a comic fashion, attempting to remove Tony's armor.

"No, no one was hurt." Tony waved frantically in a 'no' gesture as Thor held up Mjolnir. "No, everything is fine." Tony grew pale as Bucky walked up calmly with a knife, a deadly glint in his eyes. "I promise, nothing else will go wrong." Bucky and Nat began digging their knives carefully under the armor, trying to pop it out without cutting Tony. Nat's snapped and she drew the hilt and broken blade back, looking around guiltily when she realized half the blade was still stuck inside.

"Really. These are the Avengers we're talking about, Loki. This wasn't their fault, we were just having some fun. We're professionals." Clint drew his bow in the background, reaching in and hooking the string into the armor, trying to pull it up. It slipped, snapping back and hitting his hand. "Seriously, we are. This was a one time thing." Bruce waved everyone away and jumped up and down, trying to get himself angry before turning into the Hulk, still attempting to stay silent.

"No, no, the Hulk didn't come out, everyone is safe." The Hulk flipped Tony upside down by the leg and started trying to break the armor apart. He shook him a few times, causing the broken knife piece to fall out, luckily without stabbing Tony. "No, we would never put your children in danger like that." Nat motioned for Silver to dart in and get the blade when she saw Tony beginning to slip from his armor. "Everything is just fine. Go back to your honeymoon…" Tony fell and hit the ground, curling up into a ball, holding his leg in pain, trying to hiss silently. He began to mime the Family Guy skit where Peter falls and hurts his knee.

"Yes, I promise I'm keeping a close eye on everything that is going on." Scarlet levitated the armor out of the Hulk's grip, making him poke at it curiously as it floated in mid-air, while Nat and Bucky dragged Tony from the Hulk's feet. Scarlet slowly floated it away, leading him from their presence.

"Yeah. I'll keep in touch. Bye." He snapped the phone closed, sighing. "Okay, so I think-" He turned and paused. "Why? Just...Why?"

Everyone stilled, including the Hulk, to look at him. Clint was nursing a large welt on his hand, Bucky and Nat had a hand under each of Tony's arm as he held his leg close in pain, Scarlet was reaching out to focus her levitation of the armor, Silver was holding a broken blade, Thor was standing by with Mjolnir at the ready, and Bruce was… the Hulk.

Scarlet hissed quietly, "Quick, Uncle Winter, kiss him and distract him."

Bucky whispered back, "Too late. Even I can't make him forget this."

"Even I?" Nat asked, "That's a little arrogant."

"I wish he could…" Steve hid his face in his hands for a second, "Alright… I've never had a private airplane, so… Stark, do we call AAA or something?"

Tony looked over at the plane and hissed, "Sort of… Call JARVIS."

"Alright. Nat, call JARVIS. Silver, go grab Dr. Banner's medicine from the wreckage. Scarlet, when he gets back, inject the Hulk from afar. Hulk, go smash the airplane engine for stress relief. Thor, keep an eye out in case the Hulk gets too carried away. Tony, Clint, help each other with your wounds. Buck, come over here, we need to talk."

Everyone immediately set out to do what they were ordered while Steve walked over behind a upended plane wing, waiting for Bucky. When Bucky arrived, he looked around nervously, asking, "So, what did you-"

He was interrupted by Steve pulling him in for a passionate kiss. After a couple of minutes Steve pulled back and whispered, "You didn't give yourself enough credit…"

"Uncle Steve! Uncle Winter!" Scarlet shouted out for them somewhere in the wreckage, "JARVIS said he sent a rescue team. It will be here in half an hour… and Bruce isn't responding to the meds well." A roar from the Hulk and the sound of tearing metal confirmed that statement.

"Extreme babysitting?" Steve asked.

"Extreme babysitting." Bucky agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this has been one of those weird weeks where I've found a lot of time to write XD And yes, the next couple chapters will have the Twins hanging around the Avengers tower with Steve and Bucky... still not sure how that will turn out exactly, but I hope it will be fun. Once again, thank you all so much for the positive feedback :)


	14. Lab Rats

"Do you even Science?!" Tony shouted angrily.

Bucky stood helplessly by with the Twins while Tony got up close and personal with Steve's "Captain Face."

"I forbid it, Anthony."

"Anthony? Who are you? My dad?" The scientist went from mildly inconvenienced to exceptionally pissed off.

Bruce walked in with a box of doughnuts and coffee, took in the familiar scene, and moved to the furthest lab table from them. He cleaned up the table as the argument grew more heated and calmly laid out breakfast.

"You aren't using anyone here as a lab rat."

"Lab rat? I'm not testing on your precious boyfriend, I'm just checking out his arm. And I'll only be taking blood samples from the children, that's all."

"Still not children…" Scarlet muttered as she levitated a chocolate doughnut over to her and nibbled at it.

Bucky frowned, "Don't eat too many of those, you'll get sick."

"We're not children, Uncle Winter." Silver pouted quietly.

"Do you even know what those are?"

"...Yummy pastry things?" Scarlet shrugged.

"Yeah, remember the bacon incident two days ago? Take my word for it, don't eat too many of those."

Bucky and Steve had found out that apparently the Twins had been kept in the labs almost all their lives, and were not exposed to most normal things… or the idea of moderation. They had fallen in love with bacon only to be incapacitated for an entire day due to overconsumption.

They still blamed Clint for making them a new plate of bacon every ten minutes for three hours.

Bucky sat back on a stool and nodded to Bruce when he came over, handing him a glazed doughnut with rainbow sprinkles. Bruce cleared his throat quietly, "So who told Mama Bear?"

"Tony forgot to tell JARVIS not to notify Steve when he asked where we were." Bucky mumbled, trying not to draw attention to himself.

"Rookie mistake." Silver snorted.

That drew Steve's attention, "It's not funny! You shouldn't let yourself just be tested on left and right by someone like Anthony!"

"Oh, would you stop calling me that? And what do you mean ' _someone like Anthony?'_  Are you saying something about my methods?"

"Yes, yes I am. You're unregulated-"

Tony snorted, "Oh, Mr. America, telling me that the government should be hovering over my shoulder-"

"You know what I meant."

"No, I don't think I do." Tony stepped closer, snarling almost.

"Really? And here I thought you were the genius." Steve towered over the smaller man, glaring him down with all the authority Captain America could have possibly mustered in a white t-shirt and teddy bear boxers. He had just woken up when he'd asked JARVIS where his charges and lover were, only to find out all three had absconded with Tony to his lab.

Tony reached back with his right hand, making a specific gesture, and the parts of his gauntlet flung from where they hung on the wall towards him. He gritted his teeth, knowing he had one shot, and one shot only. It was like punching a stronger man. You had one shot and then you were in for it… so that one shot had to equate to all the anger within you. Tony stepped back; he made it two steps, the gauntlet already half formed around his hand as he swung it around in an arc.

He might have, could have, hit Steve straight in the chest with a single blast.

But even Silver was surprised at how fast Bucky was up and over the lab table between them and the two arguing men.

Bucky had Tony's arm behind his back and his legs out from under him in mere seconds. A knife from seemingly nowhere pressed into his throat. Something flashed violently at the back of Bucky's memory...of Winter's memory. All in one second he heard a woman screaming, some man using the name Winter hadn't been called in years to beg for his life, and Steve yelling, "Whoa- Buck! No!" There was a ringing in his ears, like a siren song he'd missed…

It sung delicately, but it constrained him. It felt like he was being choked with silk.

He barely made out the words: " **It's your mission."**

Then Bucky realized he was losing control and an electric shock bolted through his body, causing him to toss the knife down and back away, trying to see the lab he knew stood before him. He  _knew_  he was in a lab, but instead he saw a darkened living room, with blood seeping over the floor - the shadow of a woman clutching at a dead man's arm.

Howard?

Fuck.

Howard.

"Uncle Winter…?" Silver shoved at his shoulder and bolted back to safety.

The scene disappeared and Bucky hissed, covering his eyes. They shouldn't have been adjusted to the dark, it was just a memory, and yet the light burned him. He felt dizzy, still hearing the song ringing.

Steve's scent enveloped him and two firm hands rested on his shoulders, "Buck, what's wrong?"

He let his hands fall and when he saw Steve he tensed.

**Mission.**

_Stop!_

Barnes electrocuted him into motion again, moving him backwards, safely away from the man he loved.

**No, no, not again. I was perfectly fine- not again.**

_That sound hasn't stopped yet. Leave now._

The song was driving a wedge in his mind again, separating Barnes and Winter.

Winter turned, bolting.

Fuck. Howard...He'd killed Howard.

The man had called out his name just like Steve had.

And he'd killed him without even thinking.

He was in the elevator, barking for them not to follow, when he saw blood beneath him.

He was standing in the present time, but his memories tricked him into thinking he was kneeling, had been kneeling for a long time. Cleaning up the blood, so much blood, without even a bit of remorse.

He'd even thought, " **Fucking bastard and his wife. Bleed like a fountain."**

Winter heaved as he realized it was Howard he'd cursed. Howard's blood he'd scrubbed away like nothing more than a wine stain.

That could have easily been Steve.

It could have been Tony.

_You killed Tony's father._

The present snapped back and he realized he was standing as the elevator went up. The suddenly registered motion made him dizzy and his legs collapsed under him. He was on his knees again, hands pressed to the floor.

_**He was scrubbing blood up. So much blood.** _

_**Don't let the stupid boy know.** _

_**Hydra will stage the car crash, just clean up the blood.** _

_**I don't want to put off dinner- don't let that stupid boy come down and make another mess.** _

_**Don't let the stupid boy wake up.** _

_**Be quiet.** _

_**Steps. Steps coming from above. "Momma…? Howard?"** _

_**Hide.** _

_**Don't see the blood.** _

_**Don't see the blood.** _

_**The boy passes, sniffing curiously at the smell of bleach. He frowns, holding a doll that caused Winter to frown- It was a bear with a patriotic shield… that was familiar… The boy doesn't see the blood in the dark, and moves towards the opposite side of the house.** _

_**Get the blood. Scrub it up faster. Fucking stupid boy.** _

_Please don't Winter-_

**It's a memory I can't stop it…**

" _ **Howard…?" Winter stills.**_

_**Why did you have to see me boy?** _

_**He looks up, meets eyes with the boy, the bear hanging from his hand, tears in his eyes. "Howard… why don't you like my work…?"** _

_**Winter frowned.** _

_**Even the dark wouldn't make the child think Winter was his father.** _

_**He noticed that the boy wasn't really looking at him.** _

_**That bear's felt shield caught a slip of the upstairs light, and something woke in Winter. He stood, took off the rubber gloves he had on, and slowly approached, holding out his hand. "Perhaps you aren't working hard enough… Come on, let's go to bed."** _

" _ **...I made some schematiiii-" The boy yawns, "-cs...Will you work with me tomorrow?" Those glazed eyes meet Winter's. The assassin sighs into his mask.**_

" _ **Of course."**_

_Why…?_

" _ **Really…?"**_

" _ **I promise. Now lets go to bed, Anthony."**_

" _ **...You never call me Anthony…" The boy frowned and cocked his head, "You've NEVER called me that."**_

" _ **Well, I felt it was important to call you that now." Winter slowly begins to walk up the stairs.**_

" _ **Why?"**_

" _ **Because this is a very serious night, Anthony."**_

" _ **Why is it so serious…?"**_

_**For a second Winter almost told him the truth, but then he saw that little bear in the boy's hand, the only bright thing in his field of vision. "I'm going to be somewhere very...important… from now on."** _

" _ **But you said that tomorrow-"**_

" _ **I know. I'll still be with you, I promise, Anthony." Winter scrubbed at the mask on his face.**_

" _ **...I love you, Howard."**_

" _ **..." Winter squeezed the child's hand carefully.**_

_**The boy looked at the hand holding his and held it up to the light, those eyes still glazed over. "You're hand… it's metal."** _

" _ **Yes it is, Anthony."**_

" _ **Why?"**_

" _ **Because that's just how it is."**_

" _ **Does it hurt?"**_

" _ **No, Anthony. In fact, I can't feel a thing."**_

_**The boy's eyes sparked, "Can you let me see how it works?"** _

" _ **Someday."**_

" _ **Promise?"**_

" _ **I promise, I'll let you see it someday."**_

" _ **Thank you."**_

_**They walked in silence to the boy's room, and Winter peaked at all the illustrations of various weapons and devices that he couldn't even fathom. He tucked the boy in, but before he left to wait outside the room, the boy gripped his flesh hand.** _

" _ **Why are you acting so nice?"**_

" _ **I'm your father."**_

" _ **...Are you going to be okay, Howard? You're not...drunk, are you?"**_

" _ **...I'm not drunk..." Winter saw the little bear tucked against the boy's chest. "And...maybe I'll be okay."**_

" _ **Can you hold my hand till I fall asleep?"**_

" _ **Of course." That would be easier.**_

_**So he waited. He waited till the boy's breathing eased, and once it did, Winter moved and picked up an extra pillow from the floor, moving mechanically towards the boy's bedside. He was just about to press the pillow over the boy's sleeping face when he saw that damned bear again.** _

_**Chills ran over his skin, and he tossed the pillow back where it had been.** _

_**He went downstairs, cleaned up the blood, pausing before he left. He moved through the house, having memorized the entire layout before coming there that night. He opened a locked door, leaving behind not a scrap of evidence he'd picked the lock. He flipped on the lights, looking around. The target's lab was a mess of drawings and metals smelted into different shapes, all different ideas. He wandered through till he found what appeared to be the target's main desk, flipping through the papers there.** _

_**One caught his eye. He pulled it from the notebook it had been tucked in and opened it. "Tony's idea- talk with him at dinner tonight."** _

_**It was a plan for some kind of missile.** _

_**He sighed.** _

_**Something tugged at his heart.** _

_**Damn bear.** _

_**What was with that damn bear?** _

_**He left, quieter than a ghost.** _

Winter became aware that he'd fainted. His mouth was dry and his ears rang, but that siren song didn't lace the sound of bells. He opened his eyes with a fair amount of effort, feeling like they were underlined with sandpaper. He squinted in the dim light.

"Hey, Winter." Clint was there in the shadows, bow strung and at the ready, eyes searching. "You feeling murdery?"

"Feeling like shit…" He frowned, "Fuck… Clint- I-"

"Hey, it's okay, buddy." The archer snapped the bow back into it's passive state and clipping it onto his back in one smooth motion. "You need anything?"

"Just some water."

"Told you." Nat's voice startled him, her form separating from the shadows on the other side of the room, holding a glass in her hands, "Here, take this. You had a bad relapse there, honey."

"Worse that bad."

"You wanna talk about it?" She asked in Russian.

Clint threw his hands up in the air and sighed, moving to sit back down.

Winter replied in Russian, "I killed Tony's father."

Natasha, having perched on his bedside, hand resting comfortingly on his, stilled, deadly quiet even as she spoke, "It was a car crash."

"Staged by Hydra."

Clint raised his eyes at the word 'Hydra.'

Natasha looked like she was barely breathing, "Are you sure?"

"I remember the whole night… I almost killed Tony."

"What happened?"

"I saw his bear…"

"His bear?"

"It was a bear dressed like Steve… It… I didn't want to kill Tony when I saw it… I tucked him in and held his hand as he fell asleep…"

"That's impossible, Winter, he would have told the police, he would have remembered you."

"He was sleepwalking, he thought I was his father…I called him Anthony even though his father never called him that and he still carried on. He didn't even do anything when he touched my arm."

"...Winter, Tony… No, his father always called him Anthony, that's why he hates being called that."

"No. His father even called him Tony in the notes he made on his desk."

Natasha licked her lips, looking away nervously, "What are you going to tell him?"

"...I'm going to do what I promised him first."

"What was that?" She peaked at him warily.

"I promised I'd let him see how my arm worked."

"And then?"

"I'll tell him when he's had his fill. That way he's done with this arm and he can hate me all he wants."

Natasha didn't say anything. She didn't nod, she didn't shake her head, she just looked at him with those big, sharp eyes. She seemed to be searching for something.

"Can you let me go to him now? I… I want it over with as soon as possible." The lie was there on his lips.

"Should you see Steve first?"

"...I'll tell Steve if I see him first."

"He'll still love you. It wasn't  _you_  that killed Howard," Clint perked up at the name, frowning, "It was Hydra.  _You_ were the one that saved Tony.  _You_  let him live."

"Winter is as much apart of me as Barnes. You know this. I killed Howard. I let Tony live." He looked down, "All of it was me. Hydra was just a song."

Natasha gave him a look that said he'd lost his mind, "Song?"

"Yeah. Song… Can I please see, Tony?"

She looked back at Clint and nodded to the door. Clint looked between the two ex-assassins suspiciously before getting up and knocking on the door a certain way. For the first time Winter realized he was in one of Bruce's containment rooms. The door's gears whirred and it slid open. Nat offered her hand and helped Winter get up, having to act as a support for his first few steps out the door. He noticed that he was still in the pajamas he'd worn in the lab that morning... When he could walk on his own, Nat whispered something to Clint and he nodded, separating from them to go wherever she'd ordered. Nat led Winter into a small sitting area to wait, helping him steady himself as he tried to sit, still somewhat dizzy.

Moments later, Tony came through the door.

He was grinning, "So I've learned a valuable lesson today: between you and Steve you're the one I have to worry about."

That made Winter's stomach churn.

The grin fell away and Tony frowned, "Hey, it's alright, don't look so beat up about it. We all have our slip ups. One time I commanded a suit to attack Pepper in my sleep… Steve's the only one without dangerous relapses around here… Hey, are you listening? You aren't going to throw up, are you?" He peaked at Natasha, who was standing awkwardly to the side, "He's not, is he?"

Winter finally found his voice, "N-No. No. I just… You said you wanted to poke around my arm?" He offered the metal limb to Tony.

"Hey, it's okay, buddy. We don't have to-"

"I insist." Winter's tone didn't allow room for argument.

Tony hesitated for a second before he plastered that grin on his face again, "Yeah, sure, let's go on up to my lab then. I have some doughnuts still from this morning, you can eat those while I 'poke around your arm.' Can you remove it?"

"No, sorry."

"Damn, that would have made this easier. Oh well, where there's a will there's a way."

* * *

Eleven hours later, at 2 AM, Tony had finally diagrammed and mapped all of Winter's arm. It was all there on Tony's multitude of screens. "This way I won't have to keep messing with it, I can just study it here and you can cuddle with your beloved."

Winter was glad. His throat tight, he looked at the back of the man he'd known as a small child for a short time. He tried to swallow past the lump.

Most likely what would happen was he would be thrown from the tower-maybe literally- and never allowed to come back again. That was the best case scenario.

He didn't want to ponder on the worst case.

He cleared his throat, tears stinging his eyes. The past hours had been filled with Tony's banter, making Winter laugh even through his grim mood. He and Tony had a rocky start, but the man had become a good friend: both of them teasing Steve, sometimes pulling pranks, catching up on anything and everything the man referenced, etc.

And he'd killed the man's father.

He managed to scratch out, "Tony… we need to talk."

"Talk?" Tony frowned, looking over his shoulder at him, and for a second Winter could see just how tired he was, "We've talked for eleven hours now." A grin spread over his features, "You know, if Steve found out you craved my attention this much, we'd both be in huge trouble."

"Tony-"

The man winked, teasing him, "Oh, it'll be our little secret, relax, I promise-"

"Anthony."

The grin froze on Tony's face. It fell. "What?" His cheek ticked, an attempt to pull the facade of a smile back up only to have it turn into a grimace.

"I… Today, when I attacked you…"

The man suddenly let his breath go and he chuckled, "Buck, don't worry about it. Like I said-"

"I remembered something."

Tony stilled again, his exhaustion causing him to show his nervousness, "What was it?"

"I killed your father."

Tony just blinked for a couple seconds. "Yeah, so?"

Winter felt like he'd been hit by a train, "Wh-You know?"

"Yeah… I mean, that night was nothing more than a strange dream to me for many years until I saw you fighting Steve on TV. When Nat put all those files up online I researched who the Winter Soldier was. You fit the exact profile of the man in my dreams, and your records show that you were taken out on a mission for two targets three days before and after the time my parents died. In my dream you were always cleaning up blood and I know my parents weren't supposed to go out that night." He shrugged, "It wasn't that hard to imagine that it was you. Now I know for sure that it was."

Winter rubbed his neck, processing this, "Y-you… didn't… You aren't… You're so calm…"

"Well, Hydra ordered a kill, and you performed a kill. It's not like you had a choice. And you didn't kill me, so that's, you know, a bonus." He let out a genuine laugh. "If it had been anyone else, I'd likely be dead by now."

"B-but… why-"

"Look, Buck." Tony walked over and sat down by him, "You have to understand that… Well." He paused, "I know what it feels like. The killing innocents thing. Granted I never wielded the knife or pressed the button, but I made the weapons and handed them out like candy. You at least have the excuse that you were brainwashed dozens of times, and even then you managed to overcome it and not kill me, Nat, or Steve. Whereas I... I just… I didn't want to care." He slapped Winter's chest and grinned, "I'm a rotten son of a bitch, so I know one when I see one. You? You and Steve are the same. Only, where he's summer, you're winter." Immediately he rolled his eyes, "Oh god, I just did that pun didn't I?"

Winter by now had relaxed back in his seat, smiling sadly, "It's not a pun you know."

"Joke-simile-pun-thingy. Whatever. Fuck, man, I've been up for over forty-eight hours. Give me a break… But no, Buck, we're good. We're good."

"You're...certain?"

"Of course. Thanks for telling me though, it's good to have some closure."

"You're welcome...and I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. Now, go. Go be with your knight in shining spangles."

"...Thanks, Tony."

As he got up, Tony grumbled, "It's Anthony, dumbass."

Bucky smiled, "Thanks, Anthony."

"Well would you look at that!" Tony grinned and cocked his head to peer strangely at a tablet in his arms, as if something just caught his attention on it. "We just hit our sappiness quota for today." He looked back up at Bucky, eyes twinkling, "Good job, Buck."

Bucky rolled his eyes, walking away, "Goodnight, Anthony."

Right before he reached the door, Tony shouted, "Wait."

Bucky turned to see Tony scrambling through one of his desks for something. He waited, frowning, as Tony retrieved an old pillowcase with an object in it he couldn't make out. The scientist jogged up to him and handed it to him. "What is this?" He asked.

Tony shook his head, "Nothing, just-" He itched at his hair during a lapse in speech, the only tick that signified a rare moment of Tony being at a loss for words. "Memento. Maybe. It's an original. First edition. Kinda important. Had to hide it from Phil, but he's not… Phil. God, uh. Just, take it. Go. It's a gift, or a thank you, for fulfilling your promise. Ah… yeah. Thanks."

The man flipped on his heel and waltzed back to his lab, and in that moment Bucky could see Howard in him. The paperwork was replaced mostly by tablets and screens, the metal scraps replaced by holograms of works in progress, but it was the same mess. It was the same reflection of what happened within the mind of a Stark scientist, caught forever in a lab of possibilities - a maze they would never find the end of, simply because they never wanted to. They were content simply to make and build and play, the exit of the labyrinth nothing more than a forgotten suggestion. Bucky smiled for a moment at Tony, who had stuffed one hand in his pocket and had the other flitting over the screens. "JARVIS, could you put all this in a restricted file… I don't want Clint getting at this and messing with Winter… Thank you…" He suddenly paused, hand raised over the screen, to look back at the elevators, having felt eyes on him.

He saw no one there and nodded to himself. He sat down in a chair finally, clasping his hands together.

He stayed in his lab the entire night, sitting there, remembering the little scrap of paper in his hands: the only thing he'd stolen from his father's lab. " _Tony's idea- talk with him at dinner tonight."_  He'd done this so many times that the small scrap was rubbing away, the writing faded to near nothing, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was holding it there, hidden in his hands, imagining the way it looked the first time he'd seen it laid out the morning they told him his parents were dead.

* * *

Winter walked into his and Steve's level that night, tired. In the elevator he'd peaked in the pillowcase and smiled at the worn little teddy bear inside. Now he held the bear close to his chest like a child, the pillow draped over his metal arm so as not to snag any loose strings on it. Steve was waiting on the couch, and he was slightly surprised that the man didn't jump up to see him, until he noticed that the twins were napping against him, having fallen asleep watching the TV.

Steve frowned at the bear, "What is that?"

"Vintage, apparently." Bucky shrugged, nodding to the Twins, "How are they?"

"Tired…" Steve smiled with an edge of exhaustion, "Can I get some help moving them to their rooms?"

"Sure."

"And then we can talk?"

"...Yeah."

Bucky sat the bear very carefully on the table and placed the pillow case over it like a blanket. He picked up Silver, while Steve lifted Scarlet in his arms, and they each placed the young superheroes/villains-to-be in their respective beds. After that was done, Steve and Bucky retired to their room, where Steve pat the bed beside him and let Bucky explain everything.

After a long while, Steve got up and left Bucky silently.

Bucky felt like crying, so he curled up in bed, hoping Steve would come back to him.

He did, two minutes later, with a little bundle in his arms. Steve sat by Bucky, taking his metal arm and wrapping it in a blanket before he handed him the small teddy bear. "It's meant to be held." He crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around Bucky, "Just like my Bucky Bear."

Bucky wrapped his arms around the teddy bear and snuggled into Steve's chest, "I love you, Stevie."

"I love you, Bucky. I always have, and I always will. Nothing will change that. I hate that you even looked at me like I might leave you."

"So why do you leave without saying anything?"

"Because I'm punishing you for thinking something so asinine."

"By scaring me?"

"Yeah. That's a form of punishment."

"I hear cruel and unusual punishment is illegal in this country."

"I'm off-duty, so this doesn't count."

"Rude."

"You used to praise me when I actually did something mean or illegal, so long as it didn't put my physical health in jeopardy. You said it was good for me to step out of my comfortable patriotic do-gooder zone… if I remember correctly."

"Oh god, we are old men. Neither of us can be certain we're remembering our childhoods correctly."

"No, don't you jump on that bandwagon, Buck. We are young."

"Heartache to heartache we stand."

"What?"

"Love is a battlefield."

"Bucky...why are you singing?"

"...I'll tell you tomorrow."

* * *

Steve and Pepper had to agree with Nat. Waking up to Bucky, Tony, Bruce, and the Twins lip syncing to Love is a Battlefield in the most theatrical fashion they could manage while cooking eggs and bacon was one of the most beautiful things that ever had or ever would happen to them.

Their little operetta went viral within an hour.

Steve got a call from Loki later that day. He could here the video playing in the background, with Victor cackling. "Rogers, you are to remove those men from the presence of my children, I will not have them  _pretending_  to sing such awful songs."

Thirty minutes later they sent out a video titled "For the Latverian Queen" that consisted of the entire Avengers household butchering Love is a Battlefield. With the bonus content of them singing Don't Stop Believing. Because a karaoke session isn't ever really complete without it. Or so Tony said.

 


	15. The Mini-vengers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt silly. This chapter is silly. I apologize XD

Week two of extreme babysitting had just begun in the Avengers household, and Winter was ready to assume the fetal position.

_Just two more weeks Winter, let's do this._

**Barnes… I can't do much more.**

Ever since his relapse, Winter and Barnes had separated again, making the process of dealing with the Twins  _that_  much more difficult. The worst part was that the siblings had joint PTSD. Every time one of them was triggered, the other would flip out as well.

Currently, the trigger had been Tony accidentally blowing up something in his lab. The reaction being that Silver's control on his speed slipped and Scarlet was hiding in a whirlwind of various household items. And, just his luck, Steve was out on patrol.

"Shit!" Tony jumped closer to Bucky as Silver crashed into a wall by him. "Fuck, sorry, they were two floors up, I didn't think-"

"Duck!" Winter shouted, grabbing Tony by his armor and dragging him to the floor when a chair flew by.

"I want to go back to just worrying about the Hulk." Tony's voice sounded distorted, and when Winter glanced back he saw that his face mask was down now. "So what's the plan?"

"Does it look like I have any clue what I'm doing?"

"No." Tony pulled him to the side of the room as a microwave began to tear itself from the wall.

"Should we call Loki?"

"And admit defeat? Never." Tony growled, resolute, "JARVIS, get me sight on the Twins if you can."

"Sir, I cannot keep visual on Silver, while thermal vision is all I can use for Scarlet at this time."

Winter rolled his eyes, "We could really use Clint or Nat right now..."

"Yeah, just leave us here and go on a date all the way across the city. That was just the best decision ever."

Winter grabbed the back of Tony's suit, "You know, I've been thinking..."

"What?"

"That they're all doing this on purpose." He lurched them out of the way just as Silver demolished the wall behind them, whimpering in pain and confusion.

"The kids?"

"The others."

"Ah. Why?" they jumped as an overturned couch slid over the ground from a nearby room on Scarlet's whim.

"It is beyond me, but it's concerning."

"Are they plotting something?"

"It feels like it."

"What would be the point?" Tony blasted a chunk of wall into bits and pieces so it didn't fly around the room like a large battering ram. "I mean, leave two guys with two unstable mutants, where does the plot go from there? Or are we being punished?"

"Punished? No… It feels like they're observing us. Remember how- Jump!" The two leapt up right as the microwave from before slid past them on the ground, trailing sparks. "Remember how last week, after the Twins got sick from bacon-"

"Oh yeah! They all left them with us."

"Yeah. When they came back they asked us very detailed questions."

"JARVIS said that they had him pull up footage and everything afterwards as well. I just thought that they were making sure our parenting skills were alright and we didn't do anything stupid."

Winter frowned. "Parenting skills?"

Tony stopped, his mask flipping up, "What are you getting at, Snowflake?"

"Why just us? Why not Clint, why you and me?"

"Well...Clint failed, obviously… And… yeah, what about Bruce?"

They ignored as a blender hurtled by their ears, "And Steve and Nat? Why just us?"

"What about Pepper? Pepper was there asking us questions too, she was the one who gave them the code for JARVIS's security footage."

"What is she doing in on this?" The two men were so consumed by this new conspiracy theory that they didn't even blink when one of Bruce's lab rats squeaked by as it floated through the space between them.

Tony sighed, placing his hands on his hips, "Why would they want to test our parenting skills?"

"All good questions, but I have no answer to them… Wait, we're not getting a new pet, are we?"

"No… Oh god, what if we're getting a team baby!"

"Wh-Wait. A team  _baby?_ And you think Pepper would agree with that?"

"Ah-no… No, she wouldn't. So… What then?" Tony sighed, attempting to scratch his hair through the suit.

"I don't know. Is someone having a younger relative over when we're the only ones here?"

"When are we the only ones left here?"

"...Now."

"I mean, when are the only ones left here,  _but_ not on purpose."

"I don't know." A dish flew by, arcing just around Winter's hair as it adjusted to the orbit around Scarlet. "Maybe they just want to make sure beforehand."

"Well, that would make since. It's that or a baby."

"Why on earth would one of us have a baby?"

"I don't know, did you get Steve pregnant?"

"Hey, I know for a fact now that that doesn't happen," Tony snorted at Winter's determined glare, "And secondly, did you get Pepper pregnant?"

"N-nnnnooo…" Tony trailed off, thinking, growing pale. "-oooooh God! What if she is?" He grabbed Winter by the collar, "Snowflake, I'm not ready to be a parent!"

"H-hey, calm down, I'm joking. Just relax and think, could it even be possible?"

Tony looked to the side, "Oh… no...she's on her period."

"Oh, well thanks for that information, buddy."

Tony grinned, relieved, "You're welcome."

They heard a girlish cooing sound and watched as all the items began to descend to the floor, causing Silver to trip over them and fall to the ground, confused. In the midst of most of the wreckage, behind a two foot high wall of assorted items, stood Scarlet, holding Bruce's lab rat to her chest. She leaned down and rubbed her cheek against it's head, and it squeaked in response. She smiled and rocked it gently. Silver peaked over, and seeing his sister relaxed, eased his shimmering form and closed his eyes to rest wearily.

Tony and Winter looked from the scene before them back to each other and nodded.

_I'd say that was a job well done._

**Easy Peasy.**

* * *

"So we're just gonna leave it there?" Winter asked, reheating leftover soup from the night before.

"Yep. The others can clean it up if they want." Tony sighed, referring to the mess the Twins had made.

"Is Bruce gonna be mad we took his lab rats?"

"Naw, I think he'll understand their therapeutic benefit." Winter nodded at Tony's statement and both men turned their heads from the open kitchen in Steve's level to peak over at the couch. There the Twins sat, one on each side, sleeping with rats on them. Silver had his legs kicked up over the back cushions, with two rats over his shins and one on his chest, while Scarlet lay her shorter legs out over the seat cushions with one rat on her stomach and one in the tangle of red hair draped over the arm of the couch behind her head.

"Literally a rat's nest." Winter commented before sipping at his coffee.

"Yep. I hope they aren't radioactive."

At this Winter startled and began choking on his drink, "What?!"

"I'm joking, I checked them with a Geiger counter."

Coughing up the last few drops of coffee, Winter wheezed, "They don't have any diseases or anything?"

"No, not yet. Those ones are new."

"That's comforting."

"It is, it is…" Tony leaned back in his seat as Winter took their meal from out of the microwave and poured some into Tony's bowl.

Winter sat down after pouring himself his own serving, "When will the others be home?"

"They'll be home soon enough…" Tony paused then eyed him carefully, "Home?"

"...Yeah?"

Tony grinned and shook his head, "I'm just glad you're at home here, Snowflake."

"Home was always where Steve was, but I have to say, I'm beginning to like it here. Despite the ever-constant demolition and reconstruction."

Tony snorted, "Yeah, I hope actual children aren't in our future here. God only knows what would happen to them. At the very least psychological damage would occure."

"Just having any one of us as a parent would be psychologically damaging, save Steve or Pepper."

"Yeah, they're the only ones who can actually parent...or act normal."

Winter frowned, "And maybe the only ones that want to."

The two men shared a nervous look before JARVIS interrupted, "Sir, Mr. Sam Wilson has returned."

"Oh, is he back finally?"

"Where  _did_  he go?"

"Family vacation."

"Oh." Winter blinked. It hadn't even occurred to him that anyone in the Avenger's household had a family.

"Yeah, it's weird to think about sometimes. Someone having actual relatives."

"It is…"

Soon enough the man walked into the Captain's level and paused once he saw the Twins. He cocked his head to the side, regarding them curiously, before shaking his head and moving towards the kitchen. By then, Winter had already poured him the rest of the leftovers and kicked a chair out for him at the table. "Hey, thanks." He said as he sat down. "So I hear you're better, man." He grinned, nodding to Winter.

"You hear?" Winter glared.

"Yeah, Steve told me about it."

"When?"

"He calls me every few days to check in." Sam frowned, seemingly confused that Winter didn't know this.

"Huh." Winter grumbled into his soup.

"No need to be so bristly about it." Sam made a face and looked to Tony for explanation.

Tony swallowed his food before answering, "Snowflake here is prone to jealousy when it comes to Steve."

"Snowflake," Sam snorted as he picked up his bowl of soup, "Well, you have nothing to fear, I'm not going to take Steve from you. Besides, I couldn't, the man practically moons over you night and day. I barely ever hear how he is when he calls, he's always talking about you."

"Really?" Winter perked his ears up, causing Tony and Sam to burst out laughing.

"You know, Nat's right, he really is like a puppy dog, just look at his expression!" Sam chuckled. "It's adorable."

"Shut up." Winter pouted, looking away.

Sam shook his head, trying not to upset Winter by laughing any more, though only managing to reduce his amusement to a smile that threatened to burst out into a grin again, "But to answer your question, yeah. He's head-over-heels in love with you. All he talks about is you, how well your doing, the family you have here, wanting kids with you, a future, the whole nine-yards."

Winter dropped his spoon in his bowl and stared at Sam in terrified silence.

"What?" Sam looked from Winter to Tony, "What's wrong?"

"K-kids?" Winter stuttered.

Sam's face fell when he realized what he'd done, and Tony looked to the side, petrified, "What if Pepper wants a kid too? Winter, this is it..."

"What?" Sam asked, completely lost.

"They want kids." Winter answered, his expression so pale he might as well have been confronted with a ghost.

"Oh shit." Tony scrubbed his hand over his face. "How...how do we say no?"

"We don't." Winter sighed, placing his head on the table dejectedly, "We just pretend we don't know. There's no way they'll ask anytime soon, not when we're all working so much."

"True… true." Tony nodded.

Sam knocked on the tabletop to get their attention, "You guys need to communicate with your partners about this sort of thing, you know…"

"I'm a Russian assassin." Winter said, shrugging.

Tony laughed, "And I'm Tony Stark. We don't  _do_  the whole 'couple communication' thing well."

Sam sighed, shaking his head, "It doesn't matter, you should talk to them about it. Don't say I didn't warn you when this comes back to bite you in the ass."

"Sir." Winter and Sam still raised their eyes to the ceiling when JARVIS's voice rang out, making Tony smile to himself, "Mr. Rogers and Mr. Banner are back."

"Well, this should be fun." Tony pushed his food away and called his suit, while Winter got up and grabbed a couple weapons from the countertop where he'd set them, lacing the intricate holsters back into place over his combat suit.

"What? What's going on?" Sam asked.

"Uh…" Winter looked around, "Get your suit…"

"Why?"

"Just trust us." Tony smiled sourly, "And you can stay here with the kids if you want. The rats keep them calm, so you shouldn't have any trouble."

"Okay-Wait, are those lab rats?"

"Maybe?" Tony and Winter began scurrying away.

"They aren't diseased, are they?"

By then Tony and Winter were in the elevator, leaving Sam confused and worried.

* * *

"So Sam…" Scarlet asked carefully, "You're scared of rats?"

"Yes…" Sam hissed, hands raised in fear, as far away as he could get from the creature on his lap, staring up at him with beady little red eyes.

Silver handed him some food, "They won't bite if you calm down and feed them, you know."

"Yeah, that's what you say…" Sam was praying that Bucky and Tony would return soon.

"Do it!" Scarlet guided his hand to the little creature, "Feed her, it's okay."

Sam opened his palm and watched as the rat rested one paw on his finger and began to nibble at the food there.

"See?"

Sam was hesitant before he asked, "...Can I have some more of that rat food?"

"Sure." The Twins grinned as they all began to play with the albino rodents.

* * *

"Bucky! You can't leave Sam with rats! He's terrified of them!"

"Why the hell would anyone be scared of a rat?" Winter sighed, resting against the back of the elevator as Steve bounced nervously, waiting for the doors to open.

"Why are you scared of butterflies?"

"Did you not see Momento!?" Winter shouted, offended.

"You were scared of them decades before that movie came out."

"Look, I knew something was wrong with them before, but that movie only cemented my suspicions. They're devious and they want to kill us all."

"They would have killed us by now if they could have, Buck." Steve sighed, rolling his eyes.

" _That's what they want you to think…"_  Winter muttered under his breath, " _Why I loved Russia… No stupid butterflies and their evil plots…"_

Having heard this with his acute hearing, Steve sighed, "Bucky, butterflies aren't ev-" the doors opened and Steve remembered himself, striding from the elevator to carry out the rest of his rescue mission.

The two men then came upon a scene that was… unique, to say the least.

"So…" Winter's voice was laced with ill-disguised laughter. "Scared of them?"

"Well… apparently that changed."

At the small coffee table in front of the couch sat the Twins and Sam. On the table were five rats eating food out of little teacups likely obtained from Natasha's level, while the three humans pet them and played with them. Winter dutifully pulled up Nat's contact number in his phone, snapped a photo, and asked her, " _You want the cups back?_ "

The reply was, " _They're the rats' now. PS: I intend to dress them up as you, Steve, Thor, Tony, and Bruce. I'll set them up in little fight scenes and everything. It will be beautiful._ "

Bucky, now kneeling at the table with Steve and the others, was holding a rat to his chest with his flesh hand while he responded with the other, " _Please replace me with Clint or you. PS: They're all female._ "

" _Still works._ "

" _Fuck you, Nat._ "

" _This is Clint - I'm on it._ "

" _Get off it. You're in public._ "

" _This is Nat - What if I don't want him to?_ "

" _This is Steve - Please stop distracting my boyfriend. We're doing something very important._ "

" _This is Clint - Distracting, are we? ;D_ "

Ten minutes later Winter texted back: " _This is Bucky - No. But look, we found your doppelganger! :D_ " Attached was a photo of one of the little lab rats with a miniature bow and quiver strapped to her back and garbed in a small set of leather clothing, courtesy of Tony and Scarlet's craftsmanship. Once everyone was home, they all decided to play dress up with the lab rats, who actually seemed to enjoy the attention.

And so it was that on one breezy, Autumn afternoon, the Avengers gained five adorable allies that the Twins dubbed 'The Mini-vengers.'

Individual names of the Mini-vengers still pending.

 


	16. Captain Stumerica

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I would actually have it all edited and done, but it is. Because why not two silly chapters in one night?
> 
> Note: Fun fact - My friend thought up the name Captain Stumerica and asked me to write a chapter with it. So this is what happened.

Another week, another dozen of the super-human sized messes that they had to clean up thanks to the added presence of the Twins. Apparently, even shatterproof windows could break, Scarlet could wield electrical magic (that strangely enough gave JARVIS an American accent), and Silver could run on water - if for only a moment. These things led to some unsavory news stories depicting Iron Man and the Winter Soldier being left to exercise the one skill that neither of them had: parenting. Needless to say, everyone was exhausted and more than happy to sit down to a quiet dinner when the Twins turned in early, soaking wet and shooting off sparks.

Bucky sat back in his chair after pondering the past couple days for some time, sighing, "Are you sure they'll accept...me? I  _did_  cause excessive chaos last time I was in the public eye on my own. And as of late… well, yeah."

"Well, you actually ended up saving us when you were with the Evil League of Evil," Bruce shrugged, sipping his decaf coffee. "But if you feel like you need to, you could be in a team with Steve."

"A team? It's not the Howling Commandos without the other men-"

"No, no, I just mean, like you two are partners."

"We...are." Bucky frowned as he answered.

"Uh… Not like that." Tony peaked around the fridge door, "And you wanna juicebox?" He pulled one out, adding in a sing song tone as if he were being enticing, "It's apple juice."

"...No." Bucky shook his head. "By the way...will...the public...approve of me and Steve?"

"The Stucky Society does!" Natasha offered from the kitchen table, where she had curled up sideways in a chair, leaning back on Clint's right shoulder as he ate some of the spaghetti the five of them had attempted to make. The only people in the Avenger's group that could cook were Steve and… Steve. And Sam sometimes, but he left three days ago after Silver lapped him 20 times in a matter of minutes… they heard him muttering something about 'damn mutants showing off their speed.' So. Yeah.

The spaghetti was burned, but... so it went on the nights when their beloved Captain was off doing his PR stunts, separated from the rest of them.

So far they had successfully hidden their sore attempts at cooking from him.

They would have gotten take-out if it weren't for the fact that he insisted they always eat home cooked meals… and that every tabloid jumped on them whenever they ordered anything out. One time, Tony got so desperate that he and Bucky had donned costumes and used all the assassin sneaking skills in the Avengers repertoire… only to have Tony's excited squeal over his first fast food hamburger in 3 months draw enough attention for someone to recognize them.

Which got him lectured by the very traditional, families should eat healthy and together, Captain Rogers…

Bucky had luckily been able to stuff his face with some McDonalds fries without there being any proof of him doing so, and therefore had gotten off the hook.

But alas… It was burnt food night, and they all suffered in kind.

Tony still tossed the applejuice box at Bucky and Winter decided to try it. He nibbled on the straw thoughtfully, all of them ignoring Natasha. Tony cleared his throat, "As long as Captain America is happy, the majority of the country will be happy."

Bucky nodded slowly, taking a sip, his lips twitching into a smile at the nostalgic taste.

"But no, yeah, you two should be partners," Nat interjected, "Like...Two Captain Americas. Or...Captain Winter and Captain America. Or… the Captain and his Soldier… We like that one. The Stucky Society would like that one."

Bucky facepalmed at how ridiculous all those names were, "If you're going to call it something like that, why don't you just call us Captain Stumerica."

Everyone burst out laughing except Natasha, who let out a shrill squee, "Yes! Yes! Yes! It's going on my twitter!"

"Oh god…" Bucky dropped his head, not caring that some of his hair was getting in the burnt spaghetti sauce, "It was meant as a joke, please don't." Winter looked up at a little squeak to see one of the Mini-vengers scurrying about on the table. "Hey, Wilson." He muttered in greeting. Far be it from the female rats to complain about being named after the Avengers favorite Don't Starve characters, even if some of them were male names. They could be identified based on their unique hair styles/miniature clothing they made the little creatures wear. Wilson in particular had the fur on the top of her head gelled up in three distinctive curls and wore a tiny red vest.

"Too late! Oh! They'll just eat this up! OH, look! It's Steve, he's on!"

They all turned to the TV, where the show that Steve was to star on tonight had been playing.

Steve walked onto the stage in his newer uniform, Bucky smiling at his 'partner' approvingly. He was a damned lucky man to have someone like Steve. He frowned though when the small peppy hostess hopped up to Steve and fluttered her eyes at him.

"Down boy," Bruce chuckled behind him and Bucky realized he'd bent his fork up in his left hand. He set the twisted metal down in front of Wilson and crossed his arms.

" _So, Captain America, how are you this evening?"_

" _Oh, very good, thank you. How are you?"_

" _Wonderful, now that you're here."_

"Boo, you whore." Natasha said over her bowl of noodles, some of the strands still hanging out of her mouth. Wendy, the blind albino mouse with milky white eyes and a small red skirt, peaked out from under Natasha's hair to nip at the noodles hanging in her reach. "No, not for you, Wendy." Nat pulled her head away carefully so Wendy couldn't get them.

Bucky smiled at her support (and her exchange with Wendy) and continued watching.

_Captain nervously laughed, "Oh, well how sweet of you. So, what questions do you have for me?"_

" _Oh, right to the point!" The woman giggled._

Bucky might be breaking his right arm with the grip his left hand had on it by now. But he was too angry to really care if he did or not.

_The woman continued, "So, we've had some astonishing news recently, some rumors about that mysterious man-"_

" _Oh, you mean Bucky?"_

" _Yes! The one with that arm!"_

" _Yeah, he's kind of shy, actually."_

"Does he know Winter watches this?" Clint asked, eyebrow raised as he tried to hide a smile.

"I have no idea." Bucky muttered.

**Shy my ass, I'm just careful, dammit.**

" _Shy!" She giggled, "He wasn't so shy before when he was tearing up the entire world to come get you!"_

_Steve frowned, clearly upset that she was joking about that, "Buck couldn't help it. He's finally gotten past all of Hydra's programming and he's more himself now."_

" _So, is this Winter Soldier going to be an addition to the Avengers?"_

" _He already is, to us. He's been living with us, training with us, laughing with us, and sometimes he cooks with us."_

" _He cooks? Wasn't he the one who was caught with Tony at McDonald's-"_

" _Yeah." Steve's expression was a mixture of past anger and present humor, "I don't blame him really. Stark is a bad influence and neither can cook well when I'm gone."_

"Wait one second!" Clint slammed his bowl down, startling Wendy off of Natasha's shoulder and Maxwell (the rat with the dapper suit and salt and pepper fur instead of albino white) from his lap, "He knows this and still won't let us eat out!"

"I thought we hid it so well!" Natasha sighed sadly into her bowl.

"Why is he making fun of our cooking…?" Bucky pouted to Wilson, irrationally hurt.

" _Ah, so we've found the chink in the Avenger's armor. Without you they can't feed themselves."_

" _They can feed themselves, they just can't do it well. I don't know how many times I come back from one of these things to find the kitchen and dining room smelling of burned pasta or meat and an 'out of order' sign pasted to the oven or microwave. Whichever their attempted cooking tool of the night was, it always ends up broken somehow. Most of their sustenance comes from the juice boxes and packed sandwiches I leave for them."_

"Wait, he's the one who leaves those for us?" Bruce asked. On his shoulders, Willow sat with her little flame-proof red buttondown and black skirt, she squeaked in assent as if wanting to know the answer as well.

"I thought it was just some kind angel looking down on us," Clint muttered, reaching out to Maxwell and Wendy, petting them apologetically for his earlier outburst.

"Well, you had the angel bit right." Bucky sighed.

" _You pack their lunches for them!? Oh, how sweet! How-" Suddenly she touched her hand to her ear, listening to her mic, "W-what? Real-really?" She started to giggle then burst out laughing, "I-I can't, ho-hold on." The woman took a deep breath, "S-So, breaking news. Apparently, we just became aware of a private access Twitter account that just went public."_

Everyone turned to Nat slowly.

"It was agreed upon that she was pissing us all off."

" _It's called the Secret Stucky Society."_

_Captain America flushed then groaned, "Natasha…"_

" _What?"_

" _That's Natasha's…"_

" _Oh, well, let's pull it up,"_

" _Let's not…" Steve begged._

_But the screen flickered to the twitter account being scrolled through, with an archive of pictures of Steve and Bucky from their last date together. The pictures were of the two of them having a small picnic together on top of the tower, in a small garden Pepper had insisted Tony construct. They were laughing and sitting close together and there was a particular one of Bucky grinning stupidly with his head on Steve's shoulder while Steve appeared to be smiling off into the sunset about something while he planted a kiss in Bucky's hair._

_The screen flipped back to Steve, where he was rubbing the back of his neck, "So… I was going to announce that differently. With the support of my team-"_

Suddenly Tony's voice echoed from behind Bucky, "Hey, yeah, it's the Avengers who are currently on Earth. Yeah. Yeah, we want on there, get us a video feed on there." A little squeak rang out and Tony hushed Abigail (the rat who had milky white eyes like her sister, but was much paler in fur color), rocking the Mini-Venger in his arms to calm her as he waited for someone on the other side of the phone he had tucked between his head and his shoulders.

Bucky flushed, "Tony!" He hissed, but it was too late.

_The screen parted as the show allowed space for the rest of them to pop up on a video feed from Jarvis. The five of them were sitting at a table, Natasha relaxing against Clint, and Clint with his mouth comically full of food. Bruce was sipping his coffee while leaning back against the table beside Bucky, frowning when they popped on screen, turning to Tony who was at the head of the table, just saying thanks into the phone before shutting it. Bucky sat at the table with a bent up fork in front of him, his hair slightly covered in spaghetti sauce, sipping at a juicebox, and sporting a glare that could kill. And, of course, there were five mice cosplaying as video game characters._

It wasn't exactly picture perfect, but it was how they were when Steve wasn't around.

"Hey Capsicle, sorry we lost control of Natasha." Tony smiled his smug, sarcastic grin that he'd actually managed to copyright, "Oh, by the way, Snowflake is kinda upset about the giggling flirty girl there. Seriously, woman, back off his man."

"Yeah," Natasha said, with her bowl still right under her chin, "Don't make me come after you, that's my OTP you're messing with."

"What about us?" Clint asked her.

"Us? Oh, we're just a solid thing, no if's, and's, or but's."

"Aw…" Clint grinned down at her and kissed her cheek.

"Wait," Bucky forgot momentarily about the camera and turned to Natasha, "What does that say about me and Stevie?"

"OTPs are things that people can debate upon, like, I'm an advocate of Stucky, but there are some people who are advocates of Steve hooking up with that fake nurse...what's her name?" she snapped her fingers.

"Sharron?" Bruce offered.

"Yeah, so there's that and other things, but like, you two are a solid thing, just for me and Clint no one pretends we could be with anyone else."

"Oh, so it's just an oddly specific fangirl term." Bucky nodded, "Okay, gotcha."

"Bingo."

"So back to the show, guys." Tony waved and Nat and Bucky whipped their heads back, realizing what had happened, their expressions resembling deer in headlights, "How's it going Cap?"

" _Weird. But it's nice to see you all...Buck is that food in your hair?"_  Steve frowned in concern at Bucky, who peaked through the hair in his eyes at Wilson, who was nibbling at the sauce on the strands nearest to him.

"It's Nat's fault."

" _Nat, what did you do?"_

"No, that was his fault!" She shouted in her defense, "But, oh my god, Steve, remember how we were discussing what we should do for Bucky's PR intro?"

" _Well...that's not really necessary now-"_

Natasha cut Steve off, "Wait, wait. You won't believe it, Bucky came up with it-"

Bucky sighed, "I was making fun of you and your ridiculous names and titles-"

"Nevertheless!" She grinned maniacally, "It's beautiful and perfect and wonderful. I say we use it."

_Steve sighed, "I'm going to regret this, but if Bucky came up with it… What is it?"_

"Captain Stumerica! Like Captain Stucky-merica." She clapped, unable to say more before Steve burst out laughing. He laughed harder than he had in a while, clutching at his sides, trying to catch his breath.

Bucky immediately tensed, worried for Steve's asthma, only to remember that it wasn't a concern anymore and he relaxed, smiling fondly at Steve's glowing features.

He really did love the man.

_Steve shook his head, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I've really missed you, Buck."_

"I miss you, Steve…" The hostess by now was just staring with her mouth open, unable to respond, until Bucky whispered, "When will you come home?"

" _I'll be home in a couple of hours, I just have to finish here...though I don't know what's going to happen after all this."_

Bucky's face fell, "Yeah, I know. Just...yeah." He shrugged, wanting to break the awkward silence between the two of them, "I love you, Stevie."

_Steve's eyes softened, as did his smile, "I love you, Bucky."_

"Wow. Steve, let's test your shy theory-" Bucky frowned in confusion when he heard Tony's voice right behind him, two hands coming down firmly on his shoulders, "So, Snowflake, how do you feel about you and Cap being all gooey and adorable on live Television?"

Bucky stilled, his face burning, Steve reflecting his visage back over the screen. Words weren't forthcoming from either of them anymore.

Bruce laughed, "Tony, look what you've done! Now Bucky's going to have nightmares about this-"

" _Are you really?" And Steve had once again completely forgotten about the TV, "Should I come back right now-"_

"N-No! It's fine." Bucky stuttered out. "Bruce is just joking…" He rubbed his neck nervously, avoiding eye contact. He always had nightmares without Steve, but he had managed to hide that from him, that much he knew. If Steve knew he had nightmares there wouldn't be a night that he didn't have those warm arms wrapped around him, keeping him safe.

"Really? Despite all this, you have nightmares anyway when he's gone-" Nat tilted her head, an innocent gesture to anyone who didn't know her. To Bucky, he knew it meant 'I'm doing this on purpose because I know EXACTLY what Steve is going to do."

" _Bucky! Why didn't you tell me?!" Steve was on his feet._

"Cause you'd freak out like this! That's why! It's just a couple nightmares, that's all, I can take them, you know!"

" _But, Buck… You don't have to…" Those big blue eyes stared at him through the TV and Bucky's heart almost broke._

"I know, I just...you have important things to take care of, I don't wanna get in the way… like I am now."

" _No, no!" The hostess spoke for the first time in a while, "This is beautiful! Keep going."_

Steve frowned at her before Tony spoke up, "Cap, you wanna jet back over here to continue this in private? They've had enough dosage of Stucky for today, they can go to Nat's twitter for the rest of the night. I don't wanna hear Bucky crying again."

"Tony!" Bucky let his head fall to the table, hair in the spaghetti again, too embarrassed to care about anything but hiding his face. He even let Wilson climb up in his hair, feeling her little nose poking at his scalp in curious concern.

" _You cry?!" Steve shouted, "That's it, I'm not leaving on trips without you anymore. Please, excuse me." He waved apologetically to the hostess and bolted._

_The hostess laughed, turning to them on the screen, "Thank you so much for this, that was...that was-"_

Bucky's phone rang and he fished it from his back pocket, still not raising his head, wanting to hide forever, "Hey…"

" _Bucky, you are never to sleep anywhere but at my side, is that understood?"_

"Steve, you don't have to baby me-"

" _No, but I want to care for you...I don't want you to have to be alone…"_

"Now what kind of idiot says stuff like that?"

" _You do."_

"I take it back, sounds like it came from the mouth of a genius."

_A chuckle, "I love you, Buck…"_

"I love you, Stevie…"

" _When I get back, I'll give you a massage, how does that sound?"_

"Yeah, that sounds nice."

" _Buck?"_

"Yeah?"

" _Are you still on TV? Cause...you're still on TV."_

Bucky turned, his cheek pressed to the table, the TV showing him peaking up between food covered strands of hair with Wilson perched on top of his head.

" _You're getting a shower first."_

"That sounds like a good idea."

" _You know what's an even better idea?"_

Bucky pushed his face into the table, thinking it muffled his response as he muttered in Russian, "Taking a shower with me?"

" _You read my- JARVIS!"_

The rest of the table burst out laughing and Bucky frowned, looking at the screen, "What? What's wrong now?"

" _J-Jarvis has been… he can overhear what we're saying and he's filtering it into the mic so the TV can pick up my voice...and he translated what you said into subtitles."_

"That's it. Tonight you die, Tony." Bucky brushed Wilson off his head and stood, letting Winter take over as he drew a butter knife from the table.

"H-hey now, Snowflake, we're on national television-" Tony carefully set Abigail to the side.

"I can see the history books now, Tony Stark: Death by Spaghetti Monster." Nat grinned.

"You're next, Nat." He flipped the knife expertly in his fingers and said into the phone, "Call me when you get near the tower so I can meet you at the door. Right now I have a new mission." He clicked the off button and tossed it on the table.

Tony and Nat ran screaming from the room as he trailed them menacingly, leaving Clint and Bruce to stare at the screen awkwardly, being the two Avenger's least adapted to televised programs. The Mini-vengers simply sat about eating whatever burnt morsels were left on the table.

"So uh… Hey." Clint waved, "Can...we go back to eating… in private?"

_The hostess grinned, "Yes. And now, we go to this Stucky twitter!" Their faces disappeared and Bruce turned off the TV._

"Seen it all already?" Clint asked him.

"Yeah."

There were screams heard from downstairs, and Bruce just set down his coffee calmly before stealing Bucky's leftover apple juice. As a second thought, he held the box up to his shoulder and let Willow lap at the juice left on the end of the straw.

 


	17. Evaluation

"I knew there was a reason Victor told me to stop watching the news… or going online." Loki sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, breathing in for calm even though it was a futile effort. "I don't think I will ever again entrust my Twins to the Avengers."

"Now don't be cruel, Loki. Tell us how you really feel." Tony smirked, one ankle resting across his other knee, casually sipping from the coffee. Frankly, Loki could have merely interrupted him in his lab and he'd look just as relaxed as he did now. The only hint that something was wrong was that his hair was still smoldering and there was ash all over his face.

That and the room they were in was currently lit by the massive hole in the Avengers tower caused by the Hulk. And there was also the little matter of the scattered remains of Tony's suit dotting the floor.

Winter walked in, brushing some plaster and glass from his hair, sighing, "Well, our three little timebombs are in Bruce's lab, playing with the Mini-vengers. Oh hey, Kiki."

"Hey, Snowflake." Tony raised his cup of coffee in greeting, "I was just talking with Reindeer Games about our evaluation."

"Evaluation?" Winter sat on the bottom of an overturned couch, absently picking splinters out of his metal plating. "For what?"

"Caring for the Twins."

Winter snorted, glancing up at Loki, "So, how'd we hold up?"

"You didn't. At  _all_." As if to punctuate his statement, part of the ceiling broke off and hit the floor, dangling out the gash in the side of the tower for a second as the three men casually turned to regard it before slipping over the edge with a large grating noise.

They all turned back to each other and Loki shook his head, "Is this place even safe to remain in?"

"Unlikely…" Bucky shrugged. "But I mean…" A pigeon fluttered in and began hopping about, poking through the rubble, "We're superhuman."

"The Man of Iron isn't-" at Tony's glare Loki rolled his eyes, amending, "At least currently he is unable to physically defend himself."

"I'll be fine." Tony drank more from his mug, frowning mid-sip. He put his fingers to his lips and took a piece of concrete out of his mouth. He identified what it was before tossing it away and continuing to drink.

Loki shuddered at the utter lack in care that Tony had just displayed for his own personal well-being. "You must give Ms. Potts hideous migraines…"

"That he does." Winter stretched out his leg, examining a large gash in his calf that was starting to bleed enough to create a small puddle on the floor. "Do we have gauze?"

"No…" Tony frowned before snapping his fingers, "Oh! Wait, yeah. There's some over in the cabinet-" He peeked behind Loki, "No, wait, it's all crushed." He waved his hand in a dismissive motion directed towards the area of debris he had just identified as what had once been a cabinet, "Nevermind."

Loki clenched his fists, wondering how his children had survived a month in this place. "Imbeciles. I'm. Surrounded. By. Imbeciles."

It was at that moment that Steve rushed in, "I'm sorry I'm late, I had to make sure the others were okay…" He brushed at some plaster already collecting on his arm before he noticed that the substance was steadily falling from the ceiling in large pale moats and gave up, muttering, "You two need to stop wandering off when I'm making sure no one's injured…" He stopped when he caught sight of the state his teammates were in.

When he saw the blood seeping to the floor from Winter's leg he ran to him, pulling his white shirt off. He shred the fabric carefully and began to bandage the wound.

_God, he's gorgeous._

**My beautiful captain…**

_OUR._

**Right, right. OUR beautiful captain.**

Loki knelt down to pick up the cracked faceplate of Tony's suit, flipping it over in his hands. When he noticed the crack didn't go further than the paint job, he got up and offered it back to Tony, "Anthony, do you suppose you could make a lighter, sturdier mask for Victor?"

"Why?"

"Well, while I don't like it when Victor wears his mask, he has to have some protection when he goes into battle. Of late, however, I've noticed his armor doesn't always hold up so well, despite the magic enchanting it."

"Well, if you two promise to visit my lab sometime, I can try to create a suit that fits Victor. We can try to enchant different metals and see if we can't make this work. I'd love to see how magic interacts with my designs." Tony set the glass of coffee aside to look over his mask, already developing new plans seconds before being startled when the mug slid off the table and shattered on the ground.

To the side, Steve had been quietly scolding Winter in hushed little tones, threatening to cease their afternoon cuddle sessions for the next week if he didn't start taking better care of himself. When they heard the cup hit the ground, Steve leapt up and pulled Winter into his arms. "S-Steve! Put me down! There are news' helicopters outside!"

"Shh, stop struggling Buck, we need to get out of this level. It's slanted to the outside."

"Oh…" Tony stood up and stepped over the rubble, "The Hulk must've cracked the foundation of this room a bit when he was bashing in that wall."

"By Odin's beard, what even happened here?"

"Well," Steve started, quickly moving from the room, indicating that the others should trail him. Winter pouted in his arms, causing Steve to pause before he spoke more just to kiss his cheek, "From what I've gathered, I was out on patrol when Thor came back from Asgard. His arrival startled Scarlet, who was sunbathing on the roof when he came back. She lost control of her powers and interfered with Thor's electricity, causing a power surge in the surrounding area."

"Luckily not the tower since it's self-sustaining-" Tony got so excited about the possibility of re-explaining the tower's power sources that he tripped out the door and almost fell flat on his face. Loki grabbed him by the back of his shirt and lifted him back up.

"Hush, Anthony. What about Silver?"

Steve threw Bucky up into the air when he realised the man was still pouting, making Winter gasp and throw his arms around Steve's neck. Steve chuckled and nuzzled Bucky's now red cheeks. At a not too subtle 'ahem' from Loki, Steve remembered himself and cleared his throat, his blush burning down to his chest, "Oh, yeah, when electrical bolts started filling the air, Bruce lost his cool and became the Hulk. Luckily Silver was with the Mini-vengers so he was already calm. That gave Buck and Tony the time and space they needed to deal with the Hulk, who did most of the damage, while Thor and I dealt with Scarlet."

"They aren't injured?"

"No, they are not."

"What on Midgard are these 'Mini-vengers' that you speak of?"

"They're...Rats."

"Rats? You let my children play with vermin!?"

"No, they're lab rats, they're perfectly safe." Steve said as they entered the elevator, which was luckily untouched, and Bucky reached out to hit the button before snuggling back into Steve's arms.

Loki chuckled, "You two are adorable."

Bucky crossed his arms and turned his head so it was hidden in Steve's bare chest, not wanting to look at anyone else. Tony snorted, "Adorable? Snowflake here strung me up outside the tower by a rope last week because I assisted in embarrassing him and Steve on national television."

Steve frowned, "Which was terribly rude of you, Tony."

"Rude of me? It took me an hour to fix the bracelet on my arm so it would call my suit to me."

"Oh," Steve blinked, "I wondered why it took you so long. Did Bucky break it?"

"No, Natasha did. She was trying to steal it from me when we were running from him… unfortunately knives and delicate technology don't mix very well."

Bucky peaked out from Steve's chest, "Is that why your hands were burned when I found you two?"

"Yeah, I still don't know how, but she tripped the circuitry so it electrocuted the both of us when I tried to call my suit."

"Huh." Bucky made a face, "Good thing mine's attached."

"Shut up, cyborg."

Bucky stuck his tongue out at Tony right as the doors opened, causing Loki to roll his eyes before breezing past the two and into the laboratory. He called out, "Darlings?"

As Tony and Steve stepped out, Bucky still wrapped up in his boyfriend's arms, they heard the Twins shouting, "Mom!"

When they rounded the common area and entered the lab, they found a heartwarming scene before them: Loki's had one arm around each Twin, pulling them into an embrace. Though his two children were full grown, he had a good few inches on them, being the Norse God that he was. He kissed each on the head before pulling back to check them over, rattling off a string of questions as to the state of their health. When he was satisfied that there wasn't a scratch unattended on each of them, he sighed, turning to the Avengers watching him, "I must thank you all so greatly for the care you have shown my children, despite their rather...rambunctious behavior."

They all laughed at that, Steve answering, "Well, we've had quite a lot of practice around here with rambunctious behavior, I can assure you of that."

They all turned as the elevator opened again to Thor, Nat, and Clint, back from assessing the damage around the tower. Thor's features exploded into a grin when he saw Loki, shouting, "Brother!" He threw his large arms around Loki's smaller frame and picked him up, swinging him around happily just to add a dash more of adorable to the family meeting. Setting him down he gripped the back of Loki's neck as per his habit, "Little Brother, how has your month of honey been?"

"It's called a honeymoon, Brother, and it was delightful. Though Victor and I are more than ready to take our children back home where their antics shall not negatively affect the masses. How was Asgard?"

Thor's features grew dark, "Father abhors what you have done and the seeds of mistrust you have sown in the people's minds. He will not wage war, however, as your...display of 'motherly love' was compelling enough to make every Asgardian tremble at the very mention of Odin possibly contemplating retaliation. It was a far more terrifying experience than you led us to believe."

Loki's expression grew brooding the minute he heard that someone had dared mention retaliation upon him or his family, he growled in response, "I will make good on every single one of my promises should they lay a finger on my family. I made certain they knew that for once my wrath twas not simply a lie that passed my lips, but a factual statement. That is what scares them so."

Thor grew pale, "Brother, from what I heard...some of your promises...were extreme-"

" _Extreme?_ " Loki drew himself up, as if protecting the Twins behind him, his eyes flashing fire, "Extreme doesn't even touch upon the consequences that will befall them, Brother."

"I'm morbidly curious about what you actually promised to do to them…" Tony asked.

Without hesitation Loki met his eyes and hissed out, "First, I would hunt them to the ends of the universe and drag them back to my daughter's realm, Hel, then I should proceed in poisoning them with a draught that strengthens one against death so that I might vivisect them and feed them their organs to them-"

"Okay," Steve looked a bit pale, "Why don't we stop there…"

"But Captain, I was only beginning." Loki blinked almost innocently at him.

"My brother speaks the truth…" Thor sighed, "He dragged on with threats from dawn till noon that began with such tortures before escalating rather quickly. It was that delay that caused him to stay a day away from home rather than mere hours."

"How lovely…" Bruce muttered, scratching Wilson behind the ears, earning a little squeak of happiness from the rat.

"Yes, well…" Loki shrugged, "I do assume that my true anger, were my family harmed, would outshine the simple words I spoke that day and I believe those who heard me were quite aware of that."

"Father certainly was, or else he would have followed you with the entire army within minutes of your departure." Thor shook his head. "Brother, I am glad you found loved ones you can feel so passionately about… but perhaps try not to make yourself into a nightmare being."

"I already was and always had been." Loki drew a tight smile.

Thor gave him a look that said, 'not this again,' but before he could get in a word Scarlet flicked Loki's arm, "Hey! We talked about this."

Silver added playfully, "Yeah, don't make us tell Dad on you."

"Dear god, no…" Loki sighed, features easing into a smile, "He would insist I run around as a blue skinned freak for a full month at least. I have to wear an entirely different outfit when that happens because I need to match my red eyes and- agh. Do not even get me started on what I have to do for my hair…" He self consciously brushed his fingers through his black locks and sighed wearily, "I promise not to say things like that again, just don't put me through such a trial, my darlings."

"Alright." The two smiled up at him.

"Well, with that," He held his hands out for them both, "We must be getting home. It's already been far too long. If I remain much longer Victor will be flying over to make sure I haven't smited everyone here."

Steve smiled, "It's no problem. Let us know if you need anything, anything at all."

"I shall, though likely I will only turn to you, my brother, or Ms. Potts. I worry about the influence the others have upon my darlings…" He eyed the rats suspiciously. "But alas, I must say they are healthy, seemingly happy, and only mildly scratched, however one can only expect such things from the young." He gripped his children's hands, "Scarlet, can you get your lug-ah! I see."

The elevator opened and she levitated their luggage out. Loki beamed proudly at the display of control and mental strength before they all finished up their goodbyes. Loki and his children disappeared in a swirl of shadow and cool air, and the tower seemed to grow quieter and more relaxed.

"So...we did good?" Bruce stepped up behind Steve and Bucky, covered in Mini-vengers.

Tony looked over himself, "I'm not smited, so I think we did."

Bucky took a deep breath, "Who want's take out?"

Steve frowned but gave in, "What do you all want?"

The other Avengers rejoiced and began to argue what their first fast food in months was going to be.

In the end they deferred to Steve, who, surprisingly enough, had a craving for McDonalds. This decision made everyone happy, and that night they indulged in the food together. All spent the evening sitting around a table with rats roaming in between them, conversing and listening to the creak of the building yet to be fixed and the silence of the city around them in the aftermath of the blackout.

All in all, it was the most peaceful night they'd had in a month.

 


	18. Team Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a while ago I said that Natasha had a surprise for Bucky and Steve... Well, I changed a couple things and it took longer than I thought to get here, but the "surprise" is still there.

"So," Nat grinned from the couch at the two men who walked in, dusting the ash off their suits, "How was today's fight?"

Steve sighed, "Well, it was pretty standard… they set fire to Central Park."

"Again." Winter sighed. "Why is it always Central Park?" He rubbed at the excessive eyeliner on his face.

Steve smiled, picking up a towel that was slung over a chair for them. He gently wiped off some of the eyeliner for Bucky. "Well, at least we caught them, no injuries this time."

"Yeah, and it's been four months since the last attack." Clint sat down by Nat and threw his arm over her shoulder, "After the Evil League of Evil settled down in Latveria only the minor villains have been attacking, and they don't ever bounce back like Victor or Loki did. I bet we have at least a year before the next one."

"Maybe longer," Bruce added from the kitchen counter, "I give it at least a year and a half if we still make regular patrols."

Tony grinned from where he sat at the table with Pepper, "Well, we can start relaxing now."

"Not too much…" Steve chided, helping Bucky remove the miniature arsenal he always strapped to himself before missions.

"Enough to have a family?" Nat asked.

Clint did a spit-take with his coffee while Tony looked as though he were about to murder Nat for even proposing the idea in front of Pepper. Bucky remembered his and Tony's suspicions and felt his stomach churn as Steve frowned slightly, looking off to the side a bit, thinking.

"Wh-What?" Clint coughed up the rest of his coffee, "N-Nat. I think that maybe-"

"No, not us, idiot." She elbowed his stomach, "Them!" She waved to encompass Pepper and Tony, "Seriously, you two, it's about time."

Tony looked at Pepper with pleading eyes and a pale expression, shaking his head. Pepper sighed, smiling understandingly before replying, "No."

"Aw… really?"

"Yes, really. If you want a baby in the tower, have one yourself." Tony bit out.

"I hate caring for children. I can't do it!" She whined, "But they're so cute to watch and play with. Oh, please! Can't you have one, guys?"

"No, Natasha!"

"Fine…" She pouted.

Steve tossed Clint his towel. The Archer didn't seem to notice that large ash streaks marked his face after he wiped the coffee from his mouth.

* * *

That night Steve and Bucky were lying on their sofa in silence, just relaxing in each other's arms. The quiet was broken by Steve, who whispered, "I want to have a family with you, Buck."

Bucky froze, looking to the man curled up on his chest with fear, "What?"

Steve looked up into his eyes, "We could do it. Have a family."

"How?"

"Well, there's always adoption, and Natasha was telling me about surrogacy… I would rather go the surrogacy route though because I want it to be our child…"

"N-no, Steve...I mean… I can't be a father."

"Yes, you can!" Steve grinned, "I know you can, Bucky!"

"But Steve-" It was at his tone that Steve's features fell, and Bucky stopped. Steve had never thought he'd have a family again… and now that he might have a shot at another one his own lover was stopping him. Bucky breathed in for calm, "Who would be our surrogate?"

Steve shrugged, "We can ask Nat how we find one tomorrow."

That night Bucky lay awake wondering how the hell he was supposed to get through this for Steve.

* * *

"I'll be your surrogate!" Natasha clapped excitedly.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked.

"Yeah…" Bucky frowned, "Don't you wanna talk to Clint about this?"

"He'll say yes as long as it isn't ours and he doesn't have to care for it. Now, do you know how this works?"

"Um...We go to a clinic and they give us something to uh...urm...yeah." Steve shrugged, uncomfortable.

"Well, I think you know the jist of it." Nat laughed. "So which one of you will be the father?"

Steve frowned, "The both of us can't be the father?"

"No…" Nat sighed, "I'm sorry, Steve."

"There's no way?"

Before Nat could say another word Tony's voice interrupted from behind them, "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED."

Bucky took in a shaky breath. This wouldn't go well at all…

* * *

Tony and Bruce had accepted, and somehow, completed the 'challenge.' It took three months of awkward lab visits, embarrassing dinner conversations, and waiting to see if Clint picked up anytime soon that his girlfriend would be the Stucky Surrogate.

During those three months, Loki and Victor visited, sometimes along with their children. It was thanks to their magic that the scientists were able to develop a way for Steve and Bucky to be the only source of genetic material for the baby. And for the majority of those three months, Bucky simply wanted to die of embarrassment so as not to prolong the tortures of listening to his friends discuss the properties of his and Steve's sperm. There was also the little fact that the thought of having a child mortified him…

But now he was facing the reality of this highly improbable situation.

He was sitting with Nat and Steve, watching Bruce operate an ultrasound.

So far, he had valently hid his fears from Steve after that first night of discussion. He knew Steve wanted this, knew it was something he'd dreamed of… But he thanked God that Steve was raptly looking at the monitor for signs of a child, because he knew his true feelings hung heavily over his features. Nat covertly slipped a hand into his and squeezed comfortingly, shooting him a grin.

He knew his heart stopped when he saw the characteristic blip on the screen before anyone else. Bruce caught his pale expression and nodded, "Yeah. That's your baby."

Steve and Nat celebrated joyfully and Bruce gave one of those sympathetic twitchy half-smiles to Bucky. Over the past months, only Tony and Bruce had been the people he could talk to about his fears, simply because they were the only ones who understood.

Bruce understood how it felt to be unstable, to never be sure whether or not any second would trigger something unruly within him, something that would destroy even the ones he loved. Tony understood how it felt to be far too immature to be a good role-model, how the idea of raising a child of his own was a terrifying milestone that he wished would stay on the horizon and never come any closer. And both understood why he was swallowing all this down just for Steve.

Because how can you refuse Steve anything when he turns those blue, puppy dog eyes on you?

_You don't._

He knew the fact that he couldn't air his griefs to Steve wasn't a good sign for the future, and yet he kept them in, because there was always the chance they might go away and Steve would never have to know.

They went to lunch later, and Bucky tried to calm his nerves so he could eat at least semi-normally. He realized quickly as he endeavored through the meal that it would likely be coming back up later of it's own accord… might as well have been the pregnant one himself. Nat ate like a pig and he envied her ability to stay calm. Then again, all she had to do was carry the baby and be the fun Aunt.

They all joked as they usually did, saying he'd be the father and Steve the mother. That only made his stomach worse, and thankfully Tony and Bruce didn't join in. Instead, the scientists kept Steve's attention on the baby so he was too excited to notice anything was wrong with his partner. There were only two enjoyable parts of the meal: Steve's glowing smile, and the fact that by simply saying 'Stucky Surrogate' in place of 'Natasha' Clint was still blissfully unaware Nat was carrying a child.

After lunch, Bucky pulled Natasha aside and said, "He's going to notice you're getting bigger, you should tell him."

"Naw, he's going to notice my boobs getting bigger. The stomach will come as an afterthought. He'll probably think I've been eating too much."

Bucky took in a deep breath, his stomach still uneasy, "Sometimes I wonder how any of us have survived this long as superheroes…"

"Yeah…You and me both..." She trailed off, looking concerned, "You okay, Winter?"

He cleared his throat, "More or less…"

She smiled up at him and patted his metal arm, "You'll be fine, I know it."

Steve came up then, taking Bucky's flesh hand in his unconsciously. "Hey, Nat. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling great. Really."

Steve perked up, "Good!" He looked up at Bucky, smile dazzling, "Isn't this exciting?"

"So exciting I might throw up." Bucky replied with a smile that felt a teensy bit forced, but wouldn't look much different from his real smile.

If Steve noticed a difference he took Bucky's words to heart and likely thought the source of his discomfort was excitement rather than horror. Clint slid over, smiling, "So, who's the lucky girl who got to be the Stucky Surrogate?"

Natasha was quick to say, "One of the most ardent Stucky fans I've ever known."

Clint snorted, turning to Bucky, "Told you that fanbase might come in handy someday." That actually got Bucky to smile, looking at Natasha with eyes that said, 'I cannot believe he's this oblivious.' She shrugged with a loving grin. Clint tapped the quiver on his back, "Well, Tony and I are going out on patrol, have fun you guys." He turned as Tony walked in, all suited up.

Tony passed by the group as he walked towards the window, winking at them and clapping Bucky on the arm. As the window opened he turned to walk backwards, giving them a thumbs-up, "Go Team Baby!"

"Team Baby?" Natasha made a face while Bucky laughed.

"It's not the team's baby, Anthony." He grinned.

Tony made a face at Bucky, somewhere between a smug grin and a playful smirk, saying, "Whatever you say, Snowflake." He promptly shut his visor and jumped out the window.

Clint groaned, "Why do you all have to fly…?" He jogged to the elevator with no hope of catching up.

Bucky knew Tony had told him that to ease his nerves, to let him know every single one of them was there for him and Steve and that little dot on the ultrasound.

He pulled Steve into a side hug, and for the first time in an hour he didn't feel quite like vomiting.

 


	19. Sounds

It was a cruel game, but something they all participated in. Some out of disbelief, some for fun, and others just because they could.

But Bucky had to say, it was actually fascinating how stubbornly ignorant Clint could remain.

Because she was so slim, after only a month and a half there was a tiny swell on Natasha's tummy. When she first noticed it, she ran up to tell Steve and Bucky. She'd been so hormonal that she'd burst into tears of joy. Steve was beyond himself with happieness, and had asked her if he couldn't trace the outline of her stomach on the wall - the beginning of a growth map. She had clapped, but they had Bucky do it since his eyesight was better and he could actually manage to replicate the slight curve.

Clint thought she'd run to them to cry about losing her normally defined abdominals, at breakfast saying to her, "You know, if you had stopped getting out of patrols these past couple of weeks, you might actually still have your muscle tone. There's no need to cry about it."

Tony frowned at his friend and said through a mouthful of eggs, "You know, Natasha, you've been really hormonal lately. Doing okay?"

Natasha had cocked her head, smiled, and replied, "Yeah, it's just normal around this time to feel a bit bipolar."

Clint hadn't a clue what was going on.

And that was how the game started.

Each gathering of the Avengers constituted the start of another session, and in each session, the rules were simple: Say the most outrageously obvious thing you can about Nat being pregnant without actually saying she was, in fact, pregnant. They would be judged by JARVIS on a scale of one to ten that they had previously agreed upon and programmed into him, one being "shyly suggestive" and ten being "SHE'S FUCKING PREGNANT." JARVIS would proceed to add their points to their running totals, and at any time one could ask for their score and JARVIS would shout out the number.

Tony was in the lead, by far, because he was daring and confident enough to throw 7 and 8 level comments around, and the occasional 10 because 'why not?' He had accrued 243 points by the end of the second month.

Bucky came in a close second because he safely stuck with mostly 5 and 6 level comments, but had more of an opening to say them because he was the father of the child that Clint had no idea Natasha was carrying. He had gained 228 points.

Then came Bruce and Pepper, tied for third because they had similar strategies to Bucky, but less chances to actually get a comment in. They were both at 183 points.

Natasha was a little worried at this point what would actually happen if Clint found out, so while she had the most room to say anything she wanted, she stuck with 2 and 3 level comments with a random 10 just out of disbelief every now and then. She had 180 points.

Last came Steve and Thor, who felt particularly bad about Clint not knowing, but still played because they just couldn't believe the poor man had no idea. Thor had 150 points, while Steve had 142.

However, each and every one of them got more daring as the days passed and Natasha's stomach grew. Because seriously.

They all didn't understand how Clint didn't realize it.

One day when Bucky asked her thoughts on it, Natasha shrugged over her second helping of leftovers, "I think it's because he's farsighted, in a sense. The closer you are, the easier it is to fool him."

Bucky shrugged, "Could be."

And so they played on, because they just had to know: exactly how farsighted was Clint?

* * *

By the end of the third month, Bucky stood well on Natasha's front of Team Baby. He understood it.

The baby was healthy, Natasha was healthy, and Clint was oblivious and happy.

But when it came to Steve he was at a loss.

When Steve found out that there were numerous articles and journals to read online about caring for one's baby he became a research addict. This left Bucky to be on the receiving end of an unbelievable torrent of information with questionable factual evidence. It also meant that in the middle of the night Steve would turn to him, waking him and worrying over the newest thing he'd read.

Where Bucky had initially been the one to be comforted, now he would just look at Steve through sleepy lashes and drag him into a hug, pressing his partner's face into his chest just to shut him up as he mumbled, "It's all gonna be fine… Jus' go to sleep…"

Along with sleep deprivation, he also felt terribly guilty.

Mostly because he should have foreseen what Steve would be like as a parent - and he should have warned Natasha.

One moment Nat would be watching Family Guy with him and the next Steve would grab the remote, shut the TV off, and give them both an hour long lecture on not letting the baby hear such things. And that didn't even touch on Steve's neurotic habit of checking on whatever Natasha was eating. Apparently Steve didn't approve of candy's, ice creams, or processed foods. So Bucky took it upon himself to slip her treats whenever he could.

"You're going to be the best father ever, you know that?" She told him once, nibbling on a chocolate bar and laying back on a long windowsill.

"I'm not sure about that... I just know better than to let Steve continue on with his chocolate embargo."

"Did you bring me my Frappuccino?"

Bucky showed her the Starbucks cup he'd had hidden behind him in case Steve came in, "You know I did, just wait till JARVIS says he's left. It's bad enough you're holding a chocolate bar right now."

Steve walked in a moment later, "Oh, I wanted to ask-" right as he noticed what Nat was eating Bucky quickly slapped it out of her hands.

"Bad Natasha! I told you not to eat those!" He said, still hiding her drink behind him.

Natasha mouth was full so she just opened her hands and gave him a look as if to say, 'What the fuck, man?'

When Steve took a moment to sigh and place a hand over his face Bucky gave her a look that said, 'I'm sorry, I had to!'

Steve gave Nat a condensed two minute lecture and asked if they'd seen his shield anywhere before having to leave without it.

When he was gone, Bucky handed Nat another chocolate bar from a pocket on his belt, apologized, gave her the caramel mocha frappuccino, and left the room to retrieve Steve's shield.

Nat knew Bucky was nervous, so she had taken it upon herself to make him talk to the baby. Bucky came back in, sat on the windowsill near Nat's feet, pulled his legs up to sit crisscross, back to the window, and lay the shield on his lap, face down. "Okay!" Nat scooted up. "Let's do this."

Bucky nibbled his lip before saying, "This is unbelievably stupid."

"This is important," She rested her hand on the small bump in her tummy and nodded, "Go on."

"Alright… Can it really even hear me?" He peeked shyly at the bump as if it we're judging him.

"You know what Steve said about us calling it an 'it'… But yeah, I think it might be able to hear you now." She shrugged. "So go on. We'll repeat this lesson later when we're sure."

"It's so stupid-"

"Winter… Come on now, this was your idea."

"I was joking…" He grumbled, tracing the edge of the shield.

"But it was a good idea, now go on!"

He breathed in before saying, "Hey little fetus- thing...baby… Hi…" He cleared his throat blushing, "This is your dad… um… I…" He looked down, embarrassed, before struggling through, "Your other dad and I are a little weird, we're considered superheroes, well… he is. Urm…" He cleared his throat again, scratching at the back of his head, "Steve has his shield and I have my arm and they're a little strange so I thought that maybe you'd want to get used to the sounds of them now so they don't startle you when you get out of there. Erm…" He looked pleadingly at Nat, "This is ridiculous."

"Go!"

He sighed and nervously dragged his metal fingers through his hair, "Okay… Um. Well, this-" He knocked on the shield, "Is Steve's shield. The metal is very special, it's Vibranium." He flipped it around smoothly and tapped the front again, making it resound differently, "You'll probably hear this clanging about a lot when Steve gets ready to go on patrol or comes back...or, to be honest, when Tony and Thor come down to play frisbee with it. So…"

"Come on, Winter."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

He huffed and got up, muttering, "Never thought I'd be tossing a shield about for a fetus who can't even see it."

"But I'm sure it can hear it. And that was the point."

"Fine…" So Bucky aimed carefully at the dents Tony's terrible aim had already made in the walls and tossed the shield. The distinctive musical ring the Vibranium made when it flew through the air and bounced off the wall filled the room. When it dropped he picked it back up and came back over. "So… that's what that's gonna sound like…"

After a long pause Nat took Bucky's left arm in her hands, "This is the most important part, Winter."

He gulped, "I know…" He nodded and Nat helped him move his palm over the bump and he shrugged, "So, this is what my hand sounds like… Most people think it's silent, but when the room is quiet you can hear the gears and the electricity humming… it's a little disconcerting at first, so I didn't want you to suddenly have to deal with it even when you're a newborn, so… yeah…" He flexed his arm carefully and it let out a characteristic high pitch whine. After a moment he stopped and drew it away, placing his hands back on the shield for comfort.

"See? That's not so bad." She smiled. "You should also let it hear your knife."

"I'm not pulling out a knife near it-"

"You never  _ever_  drop or misplace your knife, and you always flip it around to calm yourself, so do it. It needs to know what it sounds like."

He nodded and took out the knife he had at his belt and began flipping it through his fingers. In the silence the sounds of his fingers clanging as they met the metal end of his knife and the whirring hum of the bionic arm as he quickly slid the weapon from his hand into the air were almost deafening.

And yet, as Natasha had stated, it was calming. It was how he'd always kept his nerves down in the past couple decades. Nat seemed to be calmed by this as well and sat back, enjoying the treats he'd snuck past Steve for her. After a while he pocketed the weapon and she offered, "You should shoot your gun-"

"No." He looked at her with wide eyes, "Steve would murder me, then murder you after the baby is born."

"He doesn't have to know. We just go down to my shooting range and-"

"No. Even I say that's not okay for it...is it?" He frowned. "I mean… There probably...might be… some shooting around it...someday."

"When was the last time you were at the range?"

"Three months."

"Same here, I am dying to shoot."

"..." Bucky gave her an almost sly look out of the corner of his eye, "We do need to practice to make sure we can keep it safe." He slid off the windowsill.

Natasha grinned and was about to hop off, but by reaction, Bucky gently lifted her and put her on the ground. She laughed, "You're so protective of it."

He pouted, frowning, "Am not."

"Are too!"

"Am not!" He stormed over to the elevators and punched the down button sullenly as Natasha continued to tease him.

* * *

Three hours later they were right back where they started on the sill. Only now Natasha had Tony with them, calibrating Bucky's arm next to her stomach while all three chatted about various weaponry to the baby - a topic that would certainly get Bucky to join in, correcting them on makes, models, and how well they actually worked in the field. Steve was furious when he stepped from the elevator, mostly because he'd passed through the shooting range to talk to Clint about where his shield might have gone. There he'd seen a pile of used targets that didn't have a single bullet further than an inch from the center of each bullseye. He might have thought it was just Bucky, if not for the fact that he found more with smiley faces and increasingly complicated designs and shapes shot into them. Which indicated that Natasha was with him.

And so he was going to lecture them, yell at them, explain to them that you can't let his little baby, only three months old, into a shooting range.

But then he caught sight of them.

Tony had pulled up a chair by Natasha, who sat on the sill between him and Bucky so that when Tony had to operate on the arm it would be right by the baby. As such, Bucky had to lean over slightly, and when they all talked, they spoke in gentle tones. Currently, Bucky was explaining the difference between various sniper rifles, smiling and joking with his friends and, Steve realized, the baby.

It warmed his heart to see his partner communicating with their child, when most of the time Bucky seemed too nervous to interact with Natasha's stomach.

"What are you doing?" He asked when Bucky caught his eye.

"Oh...um…" He dragged his free hand along the edge of the shield in his lap, "Letting the baby hear my arm so it's used to the sounds by the time I'm supposed to hold it and be near it…"

Steve was so touched by the effort Bucky was making that he forgot to correct him on calling the baby an 'it.'

He simply walked over, kissing Bucky gently before kneeling down and sighing, "So what are we teaching our little one today?"

"We're discussing Russian vs. American weaponry, currently." Tony snorted, "Buck says the Russians make better sniper rifles."

"No, Hydra does. They just happen to be from Russia, currently." Bucky shrugged. "Not that Hydra is a good thing," He said to the baby, "It's a very very bad thing."

Steve rolled his eyes before they settled on the shield, "Oh, you found it."

Tony frowned, "They've had that since you left, I thought you knew."

Steve looked between Nat and Bucky, "Why…?"

Nat smiled, "Bucky wanted to teach the baby what it sounded like."

Steve smiled before he frowned again, "Wait did you throw it in here? With the baby?"

"...Yes…" Bucky swallowed and pulled his head back, the only motion that would achieve more distance between him and Steve since Tony still had his arm captive.

Steve's eyes darkened and the three Avengers before him were subjected to two hours of "what not to do with the baby while Steve's gone."

* * *

Bruce turned on the ultrasound as Steve, Bucky, and Nat settled back, waiting.

He smiled, "This is a big day, you guys ready?"

"More or less." Bucky shrugged.

"Have you guys looked at names yet or are you going to decide afterwards?"

"Oh, we're not looking at the gender yet."

Bruce frowned, "Really?"

Bucky nodded, "In our time we had no way to really know. So we just decided we'd be old fashioned in this respect."

With a smile, Bruce chuckled, "Well, alright then," He began to perform the ultrasound, "Then today is just a check up."

When their baby came on screen this time, Bucky didn't feel upset... just a certain calm. He was happy, actually, he realized with a start. He was happy.

Bruce went through, explaining different things that all lead up to, "The baby is perfectly healthy."

Bucky couldn't help but smile when Bruce pulled out a fetal Doppler and let them hear the small but sure heartbeat that resounded from his child.

* * *

Clint sat down for dinner, "So, Winter, how was the ultrasound today?"

"Good, good." He answered.

Tony patted Bucky's head, "Team Baby is healthy?"

"Yes, it is." he chuckled. Whenever Tony said 'Team Baby' that meant the game had started again.

"Bucky-" Steve chided from the stove, where he was cleaning up after cooking.

"I know, I know. It's not an 'it'."

Steve gave him an annoyed look before finishing up what he was doing.

"So," Clint started, "When do we meet the surrogate?"

Bucky cocked his head, looking at Clint. He was happy today, elated after seeing his child, so he decided to be bold. "Whenever she feels comfortable." He shrugged. "So Nat, how was your ultrasound today?"

She flicked her eyes up, wide and startled.

"You had an ultrasound?" Clint peered at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Yeah," Bucky poked through his food nonchalantly, "For her lady-organs."

"Why?" Clint leaned closer to her, whispering, "Is this about not having a period for a couple months?"

Thor, who was standing at the kitchen counter behind them, actually raised his arms in exasperation. The god proceeded to put his face in his hands and attempted to calm himself while the others tried not to laugh.

Natalie smiled, "Yes. Bruce performed the ultrasound. And my 'lady-organs,' as Winter so elegantly dubbed them, are in perfect health."

Clint smiled, "Oh, that's good. Wait, Bruce, didn't you perform the ultrasound on the Stucky Surrogate?"

"Yes." Bruce nodded, unable to hide a chuckle.

"Is she nice?"

"Yes, very very nice." He looked at Nat in disbelief.

"That's good." Clint dug into his food, leaving Nat beside him to mouth 'Wow...'

Bucky rolled his eyes and leaned back, crossing his arms, "Yeah, she's great. Went to the shooting range with her a couple weeks back."

"Really?" Clint looked up in surprise, "That's awesome! What is she, a SHIELD agent?"

"Used to be, yeah." Bucky was surprised he managed to keep his face straight.

"Wait, is it Agent Hill?!"

Thor and Steve shot each other looks while Nat excused herself to get more food. When she was behind Clint she touched her stomach, tracing the now distinct swell with her hands before gesturing at Clint and making a defeated shrug as if she were saying, 'he has absolutely no clue.' Bruce and Tony were snorting up their food and laughing.

"What, am I wrong?"

"Yes." Bucky said, a smile twitching over his lips

"Oh, wait...Do you all know!?" Clint seemed surprised. "Well, if you do, it doesn't matter. I'll figure it out." He grinned.

"Eleven… no, Twelve." Tony choked through his laughter.

"What?" Clint frowned.

Tony clapped Bucky's back, "New level. Twelve."

"For what?"

"My armor…" Tony lied quickly, before bursting out into laughter.

Clint shrugged and began eating again. At the kitchen counter Steve gently patted Nat's back as she shook her head slowly, a smile split across her features.

"I love you, Clint." Bucky sighed, returning to his food.

He smiled innocently, "Love you too, Winter."

 


	20. Meeting Sarah Rogers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 20, so here's something a little special. XD

It finally happened five months in. Natasha was standing proudly by while Bucky outlined her stomach on the wall, marking the date, when Clint walked in. "Hey, Winter, I wanted to ask you-"

Clint had paused to take in the scene, tilting his head. He opened his mouth and closed it a couple times, his eyes wandered as he thought over some things, and then he walked up to them. Nat and Bucky waited in silence to see what would happen.

The archer nodded, then finally said, "So...Nat… the Stucky Surrogate?"

Natasha pat her stomach apologetically.

"So...you're the one carrying the baby?"

"Yes."

"And it's been…" He peaked at the date Winter had just marked on the wall. "Five months?"

Natasha bit her lip, nodding shyly and taking a step back in case Clint exploded in wrath.

Instead, Clint immediately fell to his knees and cried out, "Oh my god! I am so sorry!"

"What?" Natasha and Bucky shared a confused look.

"Yes! I'm sorry! I didn't know! My girlfriend has been pregnant and I- I don't know what I thought!" He grabbed Nat's hands in his and continued, "I-I'm so sorry, for every time I teased you, or tried to get you to drink alcohol, or called you fat, or didn't realize - I am so sorry! I will make this up to you! I don't know how- I'll do anything, anything at all!"

Nat started laughing, "No! Clint, honey," She knelt down to kiss him, "Don't be sorry! Yes...you were being a bit dense, but it was alright. I mean, we even made a game out of it, it was fun!"

Clint frowned, then he rolled his eyes in realization, "Oh my god, dinners… movie night… all those things you guys would say to me…" He groaned and put his face in his hands, "Oh my god, you all knew and you all…" He shook his head, "I am so stupid, please forgive me, Natasha!"

"No!" She began laughing again, "No, there's nothing to forgive."

"So this is why Steve isn't letting you eat all those treats- because of the baby?"

"Yes." She sighed.

"Well, that's stupid- no offense, Winter, but it is."

"None taken, I've been sneaking her food since he started that."

"Well," Clint smiled, "Now that I know it's not because you're fat I'll make sure to start sneaking you snacks too. And cake. I'll get you cake." His features fell again, "Five months- Nat, I am sooooo sorry…"

Bucky snorted, "Clint, buddy, relax."

Clint just shook his head, "I don't know how long it would have taken me to realize- I mean I was starting to wonder why it was all just going to your stomach - and your breasts, I do like those - and why it was such a… not really a fat shape as much as...well… pregnant shaped."

Natasha rolled her eyes and turned to Bucky, "This is my man, and yet I still love him. Why? Who knows?" She shrugged and Clint's eyes widened, "All I know is that I love him and I always will, even when he does something like this."

Clint brightened up immediately, "You really do love me still?"

Natasha laughed, "Of course!"

Clint grinned, "Good!" In one easy movement he swung Natasha into his arms and stood, "Because I don't know what I would do without you."

"Nor I you…" She frowned, "So you're not angry about the baby?"

Clint shrugged, "Why would I be angry?"

"I...Didn't consult with you on this?"

He smiled, "Eh, it's your body. Besides, as long as we don't have to take care of it and it doesn't hurt you none of it really matters, right?"

Bucky cocked his head behind Clint, giving Natasha a 'I'm not so sure that's where the concern here lies' look. But she just grinned and said, "Right." Bucky rolled his eyes and moved to set the sharpie he had away when Steve entered the room.

"Hey guys, JARVIS said the game was over."

Nat peaked over Clint's shoulder, "Oh, who won?"

"Ms. Snowflake did, ma'am." JARVIS intoned.

Bucky facepalmed with his right hand (at first he often did so with his left which caused some...issues) and sighed, "Still calling me that?"

"Yes, Sir. Tony requires that I do so."

"Of course he does, how many points did I win by?"

"You have a point system?" Clint asked, cheeks red with embarrassment.

"You had a total of 783, beating Tony by a slim margin of 4 points."

Bucky opened his arms to indicate himself, grinning, "I am the champion!"

Steve rolled his eyes, "Shut up, love. You okay, Clint?"

"I feel like the biggest moron in the world… but I'm mostly okay. As long as Nat doesn't dump me for this, I'll pull through."

Steve frowned, "You're not angry abo-"

"No." Clint smiled.

"Okay, then." Steve just shook his head and sighed. "Bruce is going to be disappointed though…"

"Why?" Clint frowned.

"Because he wanted you to figure out by touching Nat's belly when the baby kicked." Steve chuckled, "He wanted to watch you freak out. Tony was certain you'd think she had an alien inside her."

Clint laughed, "I probably would..."

Natasha sighed, "You would…" She kissed his cheek, "You're an idiot."

"I am aware of this."

Bucky smiled gently at the pair, wishing that things between Steve and him had been so simple...but if it was then it just wouldn't have been them.

Nat took a customary picture of the birth chart and sent it to her twitter account, along with the update about their little game having ended. The scores were placed up for all to see, and Clint gaped as he saw the numbers adding up. Nat rubbed his back as he groaned and hid his face in shame, having to remind him that yes, she still did love him.

* * *

Months passed, as did most of the customary milestones in pregnancy. They were celebrated by the entire team now that Clint was aware of the baby's close proximity, and Natasha often posted pictures online for the Stucky fandom. They were some of the most relaxing and enjoyable months of Bucky's life, and he was lulled into a false sense of security.

In her ninth month of pregnancy, Nat was relaxing alone at the tower one night with Bucky laying back beside her and reading to her and the baby from a manual on operating a helicarrier when she tensed. He looked up and asked, "Something wrong? Did you hear something- Nat?"

She was wide-eyed, staring out.

"Nat?"

"F-fuck."

"What, Nat, talk to me-"

"Why did it have to be now?"

"What? What's now!? Nat, you're scaring me."

Her hand whipped out to grab his so fast it startled him, and she barked, "My water just broke. Get me to a hospital. Now."

Bucky felt ice flare through his blood. "But Steve, Tony, they're all-"

"Gone. So get me. To. A hospital." She was breathing harshly, panicking.

"W-Well okay," he jumped up, "Just don't panic, uuuh… JARVIS!" He shouted.

"Yes, sir."

"I am freaking out! Is there anyone nearby?"

"The not-so-Director Fury is passing through New York currently-"

"Get him on the phone or something now!" Bucky didn't even comment on Tony programming JARVIS to call Fury that. "I know he hates me-"

Fury's voice came over the speaker, "What the hell do you guys want?"

"I know you hate me Fury, but you like Steve, right? And Natasha?"

Nat screamed, "Oh god, I'm going into labor."

"What? Oh, this is the baby, isn't it? Where are the other idiots?"

"They aren't here, we need help!"

"Fuck, I'll be right there, just stay calm." Before the line went dead, they heard him mutter, "Fucking Russian assassins…"

Nat grabbed his metal hand and shouted, "Get me downstairs now!"

He picked her up and took her downstairs, heart in his throat.

* * *

"It's okay, Barnes, you can hold the kid." Natasha urged.

"It's not a kid, that's my baby…"

"Then hold it, dammit!"

"Hey! Don't curse around it! Steve will be upset if he finds out that his baby was exposed to such things…" Bucky stood beside Natasha, already out of bed when she really shouldn't be, looking down into the small crib. Resting there, a little baby with dark hair was swaddled in a pink, fuzzy blanket.

"Eh, I'm not good with kids, Buck. Seriously... don't call Aunt Nat on babysitting duty till the kid can pretty much take care of itself."

"You'll probably do better than me," Bucky sighed, naturally reaching out to touch the baby, but when he saw it was with his metal arm he jerked it back self-consciously, "Dammit, where's Steve?"

"Probably twitching already, I bet he has super-parenting powers that can just  _feel_ the bad influences around his little one. You know, one time I was watching an R rated movie at home and he came in and turned it off saying the fetus could hear it."

"Oh yeah, you were only 5 weeks along…"

"Your boyfriend is ridiculous."

"I know… I'm kind of worried that he'll be upset about my lack of paternal abilities…"

"You agreed to this, Bucky."

"I know, I know… but the idea just made him light up…"

The two stopped their conversation as the baby began to fuss and roll about, whimpers falling from her lips. "B-Bucky, where's the doctor?" Natasha looked around, "Or a nurse?"

"I don't know!" He hissed, "Fuck-"

"Language!"

"Fuck language, what do we do, what if it starts crying!?"

On cue the baby began to let out small sobs. Nat began to panic, "I don't know what to do! What does it want!?"

"I don't know what it wants! Why would I know!? You just gave birth to it you should have some… instinct or whatever!"

"I have no maternal instinct, you're the father, you should know what to do! Think of something, super-soldier!"

Fury entered the room, "I can hear you from the goddamn vending machine down the hall, you two are useless." He went to the baby, "It's hungry."

Both men looked to Nat and she waved them away, "No, no, no, I told you, I'm not feeding it!"

They turned to Bucky. "I don't have breasts!"

"You use a bottle, dumbass." Fury growled, his harsh voice making the baby wail.

"How do I use a bottle?!"

"Do you want me to do it?" When Fury offered, both soldiers nodded frantically, "Idiots." He went to the small shelving that was kept to the side with all the supplies they could have possibly needed and prepared the baby formula, only to come back and pause.

Bucky looked from the baby to Fury, "What? What's wrong?"

"I, uh… it's kind of small, I don't think I should hold it…"

"Oh for God's sake!" Bucky put his hands behind his head in stress and tugged at his wild hair, "What do we do? Is Tony here?"

"No, I called around for some of the Avengers while I was out there and he's currently with Steve… besides, I wouldn't let that man near a child… he might steal it and give it an Iron Baby suit just for the hell of it."

"B-but Pepper-" Natalie offered.

"Is visiting her cousin on the other side of the country." Fury looked around, "Has anyone seen Agent Hill? I'll just tell her I have an important mission for her that we couldn't take care of…" He flipped out his phone and began to look for her contact number.

The baby was wailing, her face red at this point. Bucky's heart was tearing out of his chest as he wondered how in the hell he was supposed to take care of this child. He could only imagine Steve's disappointment, his blue eyes downturned as he realized that being with Bucky was a mistake. He could already see Steve packing and leaving, taking their child. His panic was rising and he listened for Agent Hill's response.

"Agent Hill, we have an urgent matte-"

The voice came out biting from the other side of the phone, "This is my day off, Fury, and I think you guys should learn how to take care of a baby. And learn quickly, I can hear the poor thing."

The line went dead.

Three soldiers who had faced aliens, Hydra, and multiple so-called impossible missions that they completed with ease, stared at the one foe who had managed to tear down all their walls and leave them helpless.

The girl squirmed and Natasha choked out, "A-aren't we not supposed to let it do that?"

"Does it even have a name?" Fury asked, "I feel bad calling it an 'it,' if Steve finds out about this we are all screwed…"

"It's name is Sarah, after Steve's mom…" Bucky offered, then shifted uncomfortably, "What do we do, Fury? Isn't there anyone else?"

"Banner is-"

"No!" Bucky barked back at him, "I'm sorry, not around my baby…"

"Well, I don't know anyone else…"

"CLINT!" Natasha clapped, "Clint! Clint might be good with kids!"

Fury nodded, "Lemme try,"

This time the line turned on, and Clint, with the sounds of a chopper echoing from the phone, could be heard almost immediately, yelling, "I don't know how to care for a child, you're on your own." Beep.

"Fuck." They all cursed simultaneously.

"If only Coulson were here…" Fury muttered.

"Yeah, he seemed like a family man…" Nat agreed, sighing, "It's getting louder, maybe a nurse will come in…"

"Is that stupid Thunder God anywhere near?" Bucky began to pace, getting desperate.

"No, he's off duty somewhere in Europe with Jane Foster…" Fury nervously tried to hand the bottle off to Natasha, "You're female, so-"

"Female doesn't equivocate to maternal, Fury."

"Sam?" Bucky asked.

Fury shrugged, "Family vacation."

"When is Steve back?" Bucky felt his heart slamming as Sarah began to roll about slightly.

"Tomorrow." Natasha stated, "He can't get back faster, it's a 4 hour flight."

"Really?" Bucky looked at the clock, reading the time as 11:30 at night. "Dammit, is he on the way yet?"

"Last I checked he was boarding the plane back halfway through Romanov's labor…" Fury shrugged, looking through his previous calls list to make sure, "So he should be here in about 2 hours."

"2 hours…" Bucky wrung his hands, scraping his right palm with the metal of his left hand. "Dammit… Well one of us is going to have to  _try._ "

"It's too small," Fury shook his head.

Nat stepped back, "It's too squirmy."

Leaving Bucky.

"You are her father…" Fury offered the bottle.

Bucky shook slightly, "I-I can… try… But I need something for my arm, I don't want to hurt her…" The three, now having a task they could accomplish, searched for and found a towel large enough to wrap around Bucky's arm and hand. Once finished they all looked back at the baby, her tears staining her face, little hands flailing free of her swaddle.

"Okay, you're up, Barnes." She patted his right arm comfortingly, softly pushing him in Sarah's direction.

As carefully as he possibly could, he picked up the baby, cradling her to his chest gently, trying to emulate the nurses' hold, "I-Is this… right?"

"Yeah…?" Nat looked for confirmation at Fury, who shrugged in confusion.

"Okay…" He found a seat and reached slowly for the bottle Fury offered, glad that Sarah had stopped squirming once he'd picked her up. "H-how do I hold this…?" He turned the bottle around in his hand as if it would give him some sign.

"I don't know…" Nat bit her lip, "How would I know?"

"Don't look at me," Fury backed away, afraid he might be asked to assist further.

"Uh… Okay…" He breathed in and tilted the bottle slightly towards the baby, hoping beyond hope it would work. When Sarah began to drink from the bottle they all let out a collective sigh.

"Oh good, good…" Natasha sat down in a chair, brushing her sweat-soaked hair from her face, "Now if it just keeps doing that till Steve gets back we'll be golden… right?"

The baby stopped drinking soon enough and yawned, opening her eyes to see Bucky for the first time. She blinked and Bucky saw the most prominent sign of Steve in their child.

Those eyes were not his gentle, darker blue, but a bright, proud, clear blue. They were the kind of eyes that were darker on the outside and got lighter as they neared the pupil.

She had Steve's eyes.

"Bucky? Is it okay?" Nat asked from her chair uncertainly.

"She's got Steve's eyes…" He repeated dumbfoundedly, easing slightly.

"What was that?"

He couldn't tear his eyes from the small creature looking up at him curiously, "She's got Steve's eyes." The wonder in his tone hadn't dimmed from his earlier statement.

"Aaaand...wait for it…."

Bucky frowned, not able to tear his eyes from Sarah's, but still upset because he knew what Natasha was doing. He waited for the inevitable.

"Trending."

"Stupid fucking Bird site." He muttered as Sarah closed her eyes and continued feeding.

"They love the Stucky."

"You also have an ungodly amount of followers for a secret agent." Fury added.

"Hey, it's not like I tweet on the job."

"Really? What about when Rogers and Barnes were on that mission in Alaska and-"

"Oh you know that picture was just too cute! They were all 'Don't leave me,' and 'I love you, I'm with you to the end of the line,' and it was on a mountain while it was snowing and it was so romantic and adorable! You can't blame me!"

"Yes, I can! Our enemies could have seen that!"

"They weren't expecting anything on Twitter!"

"But what if a guard was just flipping through Twitter?!"

"It could have been a picture taken anywhere!"

"Really? #Alaskankisses wasn't specific enough?"

"...Anywhere in Alaska… Hey, I just gave birth! Don't I get a pass for a couple weeks or something?"

Bucky finally interjected, "Yes, but most people stay in bed at least a day before walking around… not an hour…"

"I'm fine." She waved it off.

"You didn't sound fine a couple hours ago, you tried to choke me to death for asking you to be our surrogate and making you go through the hell of labor." Bucky's cheek ticked, "I'm pretty sure you almost snapped my neck."

"Well, the morphine kicked in," She shrugged, hiding behind her phone guiltily.

"Then you shouldn't be up." Fury replied.

"I'm good, Fury. Chill." Her phone rang, "Oh! It's Steve," She flipped it on, "Hey-"

"Why are you already out of bed?" She hung up on him.

"Ugh, what is with you men?" She growled.

"You just pushed an 8 pound living creature out of you, I think we are allowed to be worried." Fury's phone buzzed and he opened it, "Yes Rogers, she's out of bed and she's refusing to get back in it, and no there's nothing we can do. Is that all?"

There was a pause on the other line, "Why are there finger marks on Bucky's neck?" they heard him ask with a threat lacing his voice.

"...You know… Things tend to get crazy during births…" Fury played with the edge of the crib nervously, "Anyway, here's Bucky!" He shoved the phone to Bucky's face.

"Fury!" He barked quietly, "I'm holding a baby!"

"Bucky?" Steve sounded nervous. "What happened, what's going on? I saw Natasha's tweet, you look adorable- but what's going on? And why is your arm all wrapped up, and why is it a pink towel? Is it a girl or a boy, you said she-"

"Steve, Steve, slow down…" He adjusted his hold on Sarah so he could crane his head to grip the phone between his ear and shoulder. "One thing at a time. Breathe."

"O-okay. I'm sorry. I'm breathing. I'm just a little nervous."

"Yeah, good thing you weren't here a couple minutes ago…" Bucky muttered to himself, preoccupied with how cute Sarah was being, having stopped eating to look around at Fury and Natasha.

"Why!? What happened?!" Steve's voice made Bucky jump slightly, but he prided himself on keeping Sarah still.

"Nothing, nothing, I'm just joking." Nailed it.

When Steve sighed, too jittery to consider that Bucky would lie to him, Natasha gave him a thumbs up. "So, the caption said 'she,' is the baby a girl?"

"Yeah… yeah it's a girl, and she's beautiful."

"Don't call a baby an it! That might cause psychological damage or something!"

"Um…" He blushed nervously, "Yeah… I hope not…" Fury ducked his eyes and Natasha began to look up scientific studies for newborns.

"So, anyway… how is she? Has she been comfortable?"

"S-sort of…? I-I mean-" he corrected quickly at the dangerous silence from Steve, "Now she is. She just wanted to be held, so… um… yeah."

"Why wasn't she being held? How long wasn't she held for?"

"Uhhhhh… Fury…? Nat…?"

They peered at the clock and back at each other.

"Maybe like… since the nurse set her down?" Nat spoke loud enough to be heard over the phone, "What was that, a little over an hour or so ago?"

"An hour?! Why weren't you holding her?!"

"Um…" Fury chuckled nervously, Nat matching his uneasy laughter.

"What was it, what was wrong!?"

Bucky bit his lip and let out probably the most pathetic sentence in the most pathetic tone in the most pathetic context ever: "We were scared…"

"Why were you scared!?"

"She's… tiny… and a baby… The nurses left us alone and Agent Hill and Clint wouldn't help us and no one is near and we don't know what to do…" He trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"Bucky…" The soft whisper held concern, "Don't be sorry… It's...understandable-" suddenly another voice came over the phone, Tony's, 'Hey, Stars and Stripes, we're landing, turn your phone off.' "Okay," Steve replied, "I'll be there soon, Bucky, please don't worry."

"Okay… I love you, Stevie."

"I love you, too, Buck." The line flipped off and Fury took his phone back.

* * *

The rest of the time was spent in silence, the three entranced by the small creature who made little gurgles and coos. She played with Bucky's metal hand and once that entertainment had worn out for her she yawned and snuggled into his chest to sleep, a teensy hand gripping one metal finger.

Bucky didn't want to move, he felt more at peace than he had in a while… In the next few minutes, Nat had taken over Twitter, Facebook, and practically every news cast possible with pictures of the small child and her father, while Fury stood by stoically, their protection in case some idiot actually tried to harm them. As time passed, Natasha nodded off and Fury picked her up to take her back to her hospital room, leaving Bucky alone with Sarah. He calmly listened to the sounds of the hospital lights, which lulled him to sleep with their oscillating hum.

* * *

He woke some time later at the sound of the door opening and quiet rustling, recognizing the pattern of movement as Steve's. Keeping his eyes closed, he heard Steve kneel beside him. He felt his arm brush his and finally opened his eyes to see Steve gently touching the small hand Sarah still had wrapped around Bucky's finger. Steve smiled up at him, "I told you… you didn't have to worry."

Bucky smiled, "I stopped worrying once I saw her eyes."

"Why?" Steve whispered, looking up at him.

"Because, they're yours. Something about that made me remember," He leaned over carefully to kiss Steve's cheek, "I'm with you till the end of the line. And I'm with our child as well. No matter what, I'll protect both of you."

Steve smiled and sighed, "James Buchanan Barnes… What am I going to do with you if you keep making my heart melt like this?"

Bucky blushed, "I didn't know I was doing that...ever."

"How could you have missed it…?" He pulled a chair up so he could wrap his arm around Bucky and their child, "And now I have a beautiful little girl who has my heart as well."

"Oh great… now I have to share you…" Bucky grumbled slightly, resting his head on Steve's shoulder.

Steve chuckled, "It won't make me love you any less-"

The door burst open and Nat and Fury entered, with Natasha waving her phone triumphantly, "Calling a baby 'it' doesn't cause it any damage, so we're goldee-he-hey Steve… What's up?"

"..." Steve glared the two intruders down, his gaze inviting only complete compliance with the question he held in his eyes.

Nat shrugged guiltily, whispering, "So we may have all run around calling your child 'it' for a couple hours…"

Fury gripped Natasha's shoulder and pulled her out of the room, saying, "I hear there're bagels downstairs for breakfast. We should  _go._ "

The door swung closed and Steve turned his menacing gaze upon Bucky.

"... You heard Natasha… Sarah is fine."

"I'm going to punish you when we get home."

Bucky sighed, "If that came from anyone else I'd be excited to go home."

"Why?" Suddenly Steve seemed hurt and confused.

"It's nothing, I'm just saying you probably don't understand what most people would mean by that."

"By what…? Punishing you?'"

"Yeah." Bucky rolled his eyes at Steve's innocence, "Look, I'm sorry, it's just… Sarah looked a lot like me and I resented that a bit… I… It felt weird seeing only my features mimicked… I was scared and wanted you, but there was nothing of you there… then she opened her eyes and I felt like she finally had some good in her."

"Do you know what I thought when I saw that picture of her?" Steve said after a slight pause.

"What?"

"That I was glad our baby mostly resembled you. I was so happy, thinking of how adorable she was, how strong and sweet like her father…" He nuzzled Bucky's hair, "I thought she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."

"What about me?" Bucky teased, glad Steve didn't seem to be angry at him any more.

"Mmmm… She's the most beautiful woman, you're the most beautiful man, how about that?"

"Well… I guess I'll concede that. Except I think you're forgetting to add yourself into that equation."

"I'm a superman, I'm sort of disqualified from the running."

"Ass."

Steve growled, "Don't cuss around our child!" After a silent moment, he sighed in defeat, "You all cursed around her, didn't you?"

"... It was mostly Nat and Fury, I told them not to…"

Steve sagged against him, "In just a couple hours, my child has been exposed to far too much."

"She has Captain America as her father, I think she'll be fine."

"She has both of us, I think she'll be  _more_ than fine." Steve kissed his head, "And why is Natasha out of bed..?"

"She's on morphine."

Steve sighed, "I feel like we have two children to care for."

"You didn't hear Clint when we called him for help."

"...I hope to God that Pepper can babysit for us."

"That's what I'm praying for… We might just have to trust her to Loki or Doom."

"I know you trust those men, but I don't. Not enough to take care of our baby." Sarah squirmed and looked up at her parents. Letting out a small sound, she reached out to Steve, "Hey, Sarah, how are you?" He leaned down and kissed her forehead in reply, causing her to giggle slightly.

"How do you do that?" Bucky asked him.

"Do what?"

"Make her smile like that. You make it look so easy."

"You did it too."

"I did?"

"She was smiling when you two were sleeping together. Fury put it on his Facebook." Steve held out his phone and went to Fury's homepage, where there was a picture of Bucky and Sarah resting, a small smile on both of their sleeping features.

Bucky felt a lump form in his throat and he blinked back stinging tears.

"Bucky, are you alright?"

"Yeah…" He choked a bit, "I just never thought...after I woke up from the ice, after everything… I mean I always wanted a family but it didn't hit me till now that I have you and Sarah and…" He nudged a tear away from his cheek with his shoulder, "And Nat and Fury and Clint-"

"Oh, Bucky…" He looked up into Steve's eyes but the sound of the door opening interrupted them.

"Ew, feelings." Tony's voice immediately disappeared as he turned around and left.

The two men chuckled and Steve drew Bucky and their child closer, "Yeah, we're blessed with the best kind of family."

"We are," Bucky sniffed, "I think it is the best because it's ours."

"And you always made fun of me for being cheesy."

"What can I say? You've started to rub off on me. And those romantic comedies Natasha and Pepper have been making us watch aren't helping."

"No," Steve chuckled, gently kissing Bucky's head, "No, they are not."

 


	21. Early Mornings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I woke up at an ungodly hour this morning and felt like having Steve and Bucky do the same. But mostly because I wanted to write more family moments between them and Sarah. xD

"Ooookay, okay!" Bucky whispered in hushed tones to the small bundle he'd just lifted from the crib, "Shhhhh, Shhshhshhh… Come on, Sarah, quiet now…"

He continued to hush her as best he could, not wanting to wake Steve. The poor man had barely gotten a wink of sleep since Sarah had come home, and this was the first time he hadn't jumped out of bed at the sound of her fussing. Bucky rocked steadily this way and that, trying to get her to stop making noises before going to grab the bottle of formula that he'd been warming to the side.

Moving to a chair, he eased Sarah into a more comfortable position in his arms before offering her the bottle, "That's my girl, shh… Don't wake Steve, now, okay?"

The baby made a happy sound at the name and Bucky smiled. A feeling of joy overcame him as Sarah's little fingers curled around his, as if she could keep him from moving the bottle from her mouth if he chose to refuse her the milk. He chuckled and Sarah stopped drinking to make a gurgling laugh, kicking her feet with a grin.

"Well, aren't you just adorable?" Bucky returned the grin and held her closer to his face, brushing his nose along hers, making her laugh. "Yes, you are!"

"Baby talking?" Tony's voice interrupted the moment, "I thought that was something you said you wouldn't do even if someone held a gun to your head."

Bucky pouted, looking over to the nursery door where Tony was casually leaning against the frame, playing with the dimmer switch there. Sarah went silent, staring around the room in fascination as the lights gently flared and died, flared and died. "You try not doing it when faced with my daughter. She's so tiny, and sweet, and perfect…" He grinned, "I'm an idiot, I know…" He sighed, glancing back to Tony, who had finally ceased with the lightswitch, leaving it back on the softer lighting Sarah liked for her nighttime feedings. "What are you doing down here?"

"Asked JARVIS if anyone were awake. His reply was, and I quote, 'Ms. Snowflake and the littlest ice creature.' I didn't do that. He came up with it." Tony shrugged, "But anyway, I thought I might as well make sure you weren't having another breakdown like you did at the hospital."

Bucky snorted, "Yeah, well, you'll understand when you have your first child someday."

"Oh, god." Tony rolled his eyes, "We've already slid into this whole 'when you have a child' thing."

Shaking his head, Bucky shrugged, "What can I say, it's a life changer. Aren't you my little life changer?" He directed the latter to Sarah as he gently played with her fingers, making her smile up at him.

"She's got Steve's smile." Tony said, waltzing over to get a better look. It was then that Bucky realized he was sipping some whiskey from a tumbler casually, his appearance disheveled.

"Fall asleep in the lab again?" He asked.

Tony nodded, taking another sip of his drink, "Yeah… Pepper's already asleep… so." He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Is it the baby thing?" Bucky asked.

"Yeah. I just don't want to talk about it. I mean, don't get me wrong, Sarah's great and everything but… Pep and I have a company to run, things to do… Oh hey, what's up, kid?" He moved his drink from his left to his right hand and reached over, letting Sarah wrap her tiny fist around his finger. She'd been peering at the new figure in the room for a while before reaching out, trying to grab him. "You need som-?" She sniffed his finger, slightly wet with whiskey from playing with the rim of his glass, and sucked on it.

Bucky and Tony went ridged.

"Oh, shit."

"Fuck."

"Steve's going to-"

"Kill us." Bucky finished.

Tony gently pulled his hand back and Sarah yawned, smiling. She made gentle noises, innocent to the stress she'd just caused the two men. "What do we do?"

"We say nothing." Bucky raised his eyes to Tony's, in all severity, "We do not tell him. Baby's can have tiny bits of alcohol, some people give it to them when they don't feel well. It was at most a drop. Right?"

"Right. Yeah, you're right, it's okay…" He looked at Sarah and pointed to her, "No more late night drinking, young lady."

Sarah replied with a sleepy coo.

Bucky snorted, "Well would you look at that, you've got some father material in you after all."

"Yeah, well don't get too excited." He took another swig from his glass, relaxing against the wall, "I'm not sure how much I've got in me."

"You know me, I didn't either before I saw Sarah…" He leaned down to nuzzle his baby's nose with his again, "She's a part of me and Steve and it was like, deep down… I don't know. I'm sure if you and Pepper have a child, you'll feel the same way." Sarah yawned again, her eyes drifting closed to the music of Bucky's left arm. It always seemed to calm her, even though he made sure every part of it was covered with a thick cloth to avoid hurting her by accident. She would get upset and fuss sometimes if he didn't hold her so that her head rested above the metal so she was better able to hear the subtle sounds.

"Damn, I can't believe we were worried about you. Look at that, she just loves you…" Tony gestured to where her little fists had reached out as she dozed and grabbed the hand the Bucky had been using to stroke her hair, trying to keep it from moving.

Bucky grinned, "You should see her with Steve… Just the sound of his name- look, she did it right there. Just his name and she lights up like the 4th of July…"

Even in her sleep, Sarah had smiled. Tony chuckled softly, "You two are going to be the best parents."

"Really? Because I predicted that Nat and Clint would-" He didn't even finish his sentence before he and Tony began laughing in muffled hysterics at the idea, "God, I cannot wait to see that happen."

"Oh god, little spy babies… Can you imagine it? They'll pop out of the woodwork like spiders and swoop down on you like hawks and it will be chaos."

Bucky stood slowly, nodding, "I would love to see it happen though. Then Sarah would have a bunch of little friends to play with." He lay the small child back down in her crib and she fussed unconsciously at the loss of her father's arms around her, "Shh, Sarah, sleep." He leaned into the crib and kissed her forehead lightly. Sarah softly giggled at the way his hair brushed her cheek and tickled her, and he smiled, whispering, "I love you, moy malen'kiy soldat." He moved away from the crib when he was sure she was sleeping and began to tidy up the nursery.

"Did you just call her something in Russian?"

"..." Bucky blinked, realizing what he'd just done, "Yeah...yeah I guess I did."

"What did you call her?"

Bucky opened his mouth then frowned, "I...I called her 'my little soldier.' Why would I call her that?"

Tony shrugged, "I don't know." He paused before taking another drink, "You call any other baby that before?"

"No… I don't…" Bucky's frown melted and he smiled, "Oh, right…"

"What?"

"That's what Sarah used to call Steve when we were younger: 'my little soldier.' I…" The frown returned and he brushed his fingers through his hair in frustration, "Why would I say that in Russian…" Realization dawned on him a moment later and Tony tilted his head, waiting. Bucky met his eyes before speaking, "I used to say that as the Winter Soldier before I'd go to sleep some nights… I remember when I'd get very tired sometimes I'd have visions of this little man running around, trying to fight and grow strong enough to be in the army and I just knew that he was  _mine._  When that would happen I'd just say 'moy malen'kiy soldat'… like… like a prayer. All I could think was that I wanted that idiot man to stay home, wherever that was, and be safe. I'd pray to God that he would be okay…"

"So you did remember Steve sometimes?" Tony shrugged, "That's interesting." His eyes drifted to the baby, "You going to tell Steve that heartwarming story?"

"No, it's...weird. I don't know. Don't tell him I called Sarah that."

"Sure thing, Snowflake." Tony snorted. "Anyway, I'd best be going back to bed or Pepper is going to wake up and give me hell for falling asleep in the lab again."

With a smile Bucky said goodnight to him, folding up a baby blanket that had been hanging over the arm of the chair. He looked back up when he heard soft footsteps, expecting to see Tony coming back in for something he'd forgotten, when he met mussy blonde hair and sharp blue eyes, laced with a loving smile. "Hey, Steve." He watched as Steve moved over and took the baby monitor from the table by the chair and placed it by the crib with a wink, "I just fed her and put her back to bed so-"

Two arms wrapped around him gently and he felt Steve's lips on his. He slipped his own arms around his lover, holding him close as they kissed. It wasn't passionate or heated, instead it was simply a comfortable sharing space. The contact was soft and lazy, almost like a more intimate hug. Bucky carded his fingers through Steve's hair lovingly and pulled back with a sigh. Steve smiled, "Good morning…"

"Good morning. It's 3 AM though...shouldn't we go back to bed? And what was the wink for..?"

"Mmmm…" Steve was still smiling when he began leading Bucky by the hand back to their room. Bucky just watched the man lead him with a sense of happiness and well being that made him warm inside, still uncertain how everything he'd been through could have possibly led up to moments as wonderful as this.

When they got to their room, Steve pulled him into bed and curled up in his arms, muttering about wanting Bucky Bear. So Bucky wrapped his arms around Steve and pulled up the blankets, tucking them around the sleepy supersoldier. "Goodnight, Steve."

"Goodnight, Buck…" After a couple seconds, Steve whispered into Bucky's chest, drowsily adding, "An' I think it's sweet you call her your little soldier… An' that you thought of me-" A yawn interrupted before he continued, "When you were the Winter Soldier… I know I dreamt of you when I was in ice…" He nuzzled Bucky's chest. "I still do…"

Bucky smiled, kissing Steve's head, not even responding as the last word had drifted off into a soft sigh that indicated Steve was sleeping. He just closed his eyes and let himself rest, enveloped in Steve's scent.

* * *

"And you're sure you have everything?" Steve asked, hands resting on Bucky's biceps.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"You're absolutely  _sure_ -"

"I'm good!" Bucky laughed, causing Sarah, who had been watching Steve freak out for the past hour from Bucky's arms, to giggle. "We're good. Now just go. And tell Victor I said 'hi,' okay?"

"Of course…" Steve nibbled his lip before kissing Bucky and Sarah goodbye.

"Come ooooooon, Captain!" Tony shouted from the hallway, "We needed to get to the embassy like, two hours ago."

Steve rolled his eyes, kissing Bucky one last time, "Text me if you need anything, call to let me know how you're doing, and pictures, please, if she does anything adorable-"

"Okay, okay, just go already." Bucky bit Steve's lip playfully, "I will bite you elsewhere if-"

Steve kissed him swiftly to cut him off and chuckled, "I'll hold you up to that."

Grinning, Bucky watched as his lover left, and sighed when he was gone. He sat down on the couch and rested against the arm so he could pull his knees up and lay Sarah against his legs so she was facing him. "Hey moy malen'kiy soldat, it's just you and me for a couple days, huh?"

She giggled.

Natasha's voice interrupted, "She's going to miss her mommy."

"Her mother?" Bucky raised an eyebrow, noticing that Natasha was messaging on her phone, likely having taken a picture of them, "Is that who Steve is?"

"Yes. Also, I have an evil plan for while Steve is gone, but I need you and Sarah in on it."

Bucky smiled, "I'm all ears. What about you, Moy malen'kiy soldat?"

Sarah grinned, cooing in assent.

* * *

Steve had gone to escort Dr. Doom to his embassy in America, and he was to stay with the man for the entire two days he was there and guard him. As if he needed guarding. But that gave Bucky and Natasha enough time to work on their 'evil plan,' even when they regressed into no more than babies themselves.

Currently, on the morning of day two, Natasha was crying. "I don't know what you want from me…" Tears were tracking down her face as she looked into the crib, "I just want to help but I don't understand…" Sarah wailed and Bucky reached in after having cleaned up the dirty diaper he'd just changed.

He was crying too, "Where is Steve when you need him? And stop crying, Nat, you aren't helping!"

"I can't help it, I'm hormonal still… And hey! You stop crying! You don't have an excuse."

"Yes I do, Steve isn't here, which means we are screwed."

"Uggh!" She whimpered through her tears. "I don't understand! We changed her diapers, we fed her, we burped her, we tried rocking her to sleep...What is there left to do?"

At this point, the two sobbing ex-Soviets had yet to notice Clint, who was frowning from the doorway to the nursery. "You two are idiots." He sighed, "Give her here." He reached out and Bucky handed Sarah to him. "She wants to sleep but can't. You need to soothe her…" He began rocking the little girl before he started singing softly. Frankly, Clint was terrified of holding such a small child, the only reason he was so calm was because he was too tired to be anything but that. Natasha had offered to replace Steve's parental care for the time being, but that meant his partner would get out of bed at ungodly hours to help take care of Sarah, waking him in the process.

Clint had seen people taking care of babies at the orphanage and the circus, so he knew what to do... he just never had reason enough to overcome his fear of dropping the small human or hurting it. But seeing his friends in tears over the small creature was enough to drive a man mad, and so he decided that his fears could go fuck themselves - his girlfriend and his friend needed him.

Bucky and Natasha watched in shock as Clint's voice almost immediately calmed Sarah. He was singing 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' beautifully, his soft voice trickling over the cadence and soothing everyone in the room. Natasha and Bucky wiped away their tears, feeling a little more than silly for their previous actions, and listened as Clint lulled Sarah back to sleep. When he was finished, he returned the bundle to Bucky's arms, and was thanked by both profusely before he waved them off to return to bed. Natasha followed after him and Bucky lay Sarah in her crib, going back to sleep himself. They had another long day of training ahead of them.

* * *

Steve came back in at 4 AM the next day, dropped everything carelessly, and moved to his family's side. He kissed Bucky first before whisking the little girl into his arms, "Hey, how's my beautiful girl?"

"She's good." Bucky smiled at the pair before him.

Natasha and Clint looked up from the couch where they'd been resting in their pjs and waved to Steve, who nodded to them in greeting as his hands were currently full. "Have you been good for your father?" He asked Sarah.

Natasha snorted, "Yeah, except yesterday morning."

Clint rolled his eyes, "That was just you two being sleep deprived morons."

"Shut up, you only got her to sleep because you're magic or something."

Steve looked up from his daughter in surprise, "You got her back to sleep, Clint?"

"Yeah, these idiots didn't realized that crying along with the baby isn't exactly helpful." The man sighed and pulled Natasha into his arms, muttering, "The things I do for you people."

"He sang to her," Nat explained, "And she went right to sleep."

"Wait… hold on. You sang…" He looked at Clint and then turned to Nat, "And you cried- Wait, you both," he looked between her and Bucky, "You both cried?"

Bucky blushed, "We didn't know what to do…"

Steve rolled his eyes, "Well thank you, Clint. I'm sorry my partner was being stupid." He looked down at Sarah, "Was daddy being stupid?"

She giggled and turned to look at Bucky, saying, "Da! Dada!"

All the occupants of the room broke out in grins, and Natasha squeed, "Oh JARVIS! I hope you got that on camera!"

"Of course I did, ma'am."

Sarah looked up at the ceiling and said, "Ja-bi.."

"Aw!" Steve cooed, grinning at his little girl, "You're so intelligent…"

Sarah beamed up at him proudly, "Mama!"

Steve's features immediately dropped and he looked up at Bucky with an annoyed expression, "Really? Really, you guys?"

Natasha grinned, "I didn't think it would work, to be honest, but I'm glad it did!"

"What did you guys do?" He sighed.

Bucky snorted, "We kept pointing to pictures of you and saying 'mommy' while you were gone. We didn't tell her to call me dad or to learn how to say JARVIS though, that's all her."

Steve rolled his eyes, "You guys are pure evil… Oh! Speaking of which, the Evil League of Evil is going to stay for Thanksgiving."

"Really?" Bucky and Clint perked up immediately.

"Yeah, so get ready for that."

JARVIS intoned from above, "Tony has already begun fortifying the building. Also, I, myself, would like to say that I find the little ice creature's attempts at saying my name to be adorable."

"Thank you, JARVIS." Steve laughed.

A joyful "Ja-bi!" followed his thank you and Natasha squeed before asking JARVIS if he couldn't upload those security clips of Sarah to her Twitter for her.

 


	22. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for how long it's taken me to update, but it's the end of summer and I've been busy. I should have the next chapter up soon-ish, probably today or tomorrow. Once again, thank you for all your kind reviews, I hope you enjoy :)

The days before Thanksgiving weekend were, to say the least, chaotic for the Avengers household. It wasn't for lack of trying, but the minute people came in to interview the various heroes as the holidays loomed, their efforts proved to be in vain.

So Thor was being interviewed with Jane?

Perfect.

Having just gotten her settled into Thor's level of the Avengers tower and deciding to give her a warm welcome, the gang went into her room and posted up a bunch of half naked pictures of their favorite thunder god. The woman interviewing was slipped 20 dollars to fit a question in that would somehow move them into the poor scientist's room. Everyone was surprised with how relaxed Jane played it off, actually clapping over the gift her new housemates had given her. Thor, on the other hand, wore a very confused expression for the rest of the interview.

So Steve and Bucky were having an interview with their baby?

Great.

Tony and Bruce planted a question specially for Sarah on what she wanted to do when she grew up, and proceeded to try to teach the baby to say "thermonuclear astrophysics." They didn't get very far without Jane's help, but after she offered her assistance it came out very close to "Ter-mo-nuc-wee-aw As-dwo-biz-ics," and the message got across.

So Tony is being interviewed after that?

Fantastic.

Steve and Bucky request Natasha's help with hacking into JARVIS's system. When successful, JARVIS interrupted the interview to tell Tony that Bruce ate all his chocolate stashes. Tony decided to test run the new Mark that day.

So Clint and Natasha were being interviewed?

Well actually, nothing really happened there.

They were professional to a fault, despite having paper airplanes tossed at them, a novice arrow flying just above camera, a Mini-venger crawling up into Nat's lap, and some impromptu dancing behind the interviewer in an attempt to get them to crack.

As usual, it didn't happen.

Fury came to visit, and flat out refused to be interviewed on the basis that he wasn't going to walk in front of the world with a 'kick me' sign posted on his face. They settled him into Nat's level while she moved in with her archer. Fury complained minimally that he kept stumbling on weaponry that Nat just left lying around, and usually only when he had to be taken to Bruce for emergency stitches - such as when he tripped over a shotgun she left leaning on the left wall of a hallway and it went off, causing him to flip out and accidentally fall into a desk that carried some of Nat's sharper knives.

He found it strange that a shotgun loaded with blanks was placed specifically in his blind spot, but gained nothing from the deadpan of those who'd once been his subordinates.

When the Evil League of Evil arrived, they were offered to stay on the Captain's floor, as it was full of guest rooms. The Twins immediately took to Sarah, and she to them. When things got too loud, fiery, or green around the tower, the Doom and Rogers families would go spend the day at Central Park. There they often garnered the attention of many people, but the raucous crowd was usually tolerable, and oftentimes the mere presence of Loki and Victor set people off so much that they actually managed to gain some calming alone time as a family. They found that, without the herds of people, Sarah seemed to really enjoy the gardens, often reaching out to touch the flowers.

Sam, having to celebrate with his family at home, said he was thankful he was not going to be apart of the nuclear time bomb they'd all just set up for themselves, and would be off duty when it blew up in their faces.

All in all, though, it was better than most of their previous holidays.

* * *

Thanksgiving morning was, traditionally, a time of strife.

Steve would be running around his kitchen, trying to work his Starkphone to communicate with the other Avengers cooking in their individual levels. His goal the entire day was to attempt to re-teach them how to make a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Everyone else's goal was usually to make as few mistakes as possible, avoid burning Bruce, and keep the doors barricaded from newspersons asking them what they thought of the Thanksgiving day parade balloons of themselves.

However, this Thanksgiving day was different from the start.

Loki was, apparently, talented in culinary arts, and he'd been teaching his children as well. He and Steve fell into an easy pattern as they went through the lengthy list of recipes (each Avenger had at least four different dishes that they demanded had to be a part of a Thanksgiving day feast). As they moved along, they enlisted the help of the Twins and Bucky, one of which would be 'tagged in' from cooking to take care of Sarah, switching off every half hour to keep the baby's interest.

Which had started to present itself as a problem.

Sarah could get bored easily, even for her age. She would look around her, eyes flicking about quickly, seeming to digest the area, and if nothing was new, she would begin to fuss. Steve and Bucky had to read different books to her every night and tried to cook new things so the different smells and sounds would calm her. She was even able to recognize a show that had been watched a month and a half before and would whine until they turned on something new, and promptly she would be riveted by the sight before her, somehow committing it to memory.

Tony had caused them great panic when they'd gone to him, offering their baby up to his expertise to see if something were wrong. All they got was, "Nah, I was the same way as a baby. Oh? What? Is that a bad thing? You don't need to look so pale, I was a great kid!"

Yet they endured, because they loved Sarah.

Currently, she was whining to get closer to the kitchen, which Scarlet wouldn't let happen.

"Hush, Sarah… Come on, it's alright, you can see the food later." The baby whimpered and reached for her parents. "Alright, Uncle Winter, I'm tagging out. She wants you."

Bucky grumbled, looking lost, "I can't, Steve says I have to stay here with this…" He looked at the chicken -  _ **Goddamn, Barton and his silly circus past, had to have some weird sort of chicken thing on Thanksgiving**_  - he was cooking, and sighed. Steve apologized quietly from where he was directing the others on the Starkphone.

Victor nudged Loki, "She hasn't been held by you yet, go hold her."

Loki wiped his hands clean and strode over confidently, but hesitated as his daughter moved to hand him Sarah. "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, I've just...never held a normal infant before."

"What do you mean by that?"

Thor's voice came over the Starkphone intercom, "His past children were all… strange in some way or another."

"Past children?" Victor's eyes flashed with jealousy and he glared holes into the back of Loki's head.

"Yes…" Loki muttered distractedly, trying to carefully adjust his hold on Sarah has he cradled her in his arms, "I gave birth to a myriad of bizarre little creatures when I was younger. Odin decided to mate me with… ugh, it is a day of Thanks, please, do not get me started on the marriages I was forced into. The only tolerable one was Sigyn, and that was because I wasn't forced to be the female in the relationship."

"That and she spent decades making sure you didn't drown in the venom of a serpent." Thor added. (Jane hissed in the background, "No, that's oregano - we've been over this, that is not pepper! Put that down!")

"That was from guilt and anguish after our sons perished…" Loki frowned, eyes growing dark. "Besides, the only parts of my sons left were the chains of their entrails with which I was bound. Perhaps she merely wanted to be close to what was left of them." He shrugged, causing a lock of hair to slip loose from its miniature ponytail. It fell into his eyes and he attempted to blow it away, failing and having to endure it obscuring his vision. Sarah laughed and he tilted his head, observing her, "My goodness, her giggle reminds me of Hel…"

While everyone stood around, staring in shock at this new development, Thor and Jane, who already knew about Loki's past, simply went on with their cooking from the other side of the makeshift intercom. Thor laughed, "Brother, we should visit my little hellish niece. It has been years since we've gone to her realm, and centuries more since we've gone there without mortal wounds!"

Loki snorted, "Yes, perhaps a visit is in order, I would love to show her my new family." It was with this that Loki turned to smile at Victor behind him, only to catch everyone's slack-jawed expressions. "What?"

Bucky was the first to say anything, "You gave  _birth_!?"

Loki frowned, "Well...yes. I did. It was terrible, I must say. I know not how Natasha stood so soon after her time - then again, she did not give birth to a snake, dog, or otherwise."

"What?!" Was the resounding response.

Loki frowned, then nodded, "I… being a shapeshifter...sometimes I would, during my pregnancies, take the shape of another creature and in doing so...perhaps affect the development of the child within me…" He looked around, and sighed, "I had work to do, I couldn't just lie around and hope my oaf of a Jotun wife wouldn't destroy the world."

"You had a - wait - hold on…" Victor rubbed his temples, "Why were you pregnant if you had a wife?"

"Because I didn't trust her to carry our children. So I became female and took them into my womb… Is this really so complicated to you?"

"Yes!" Every one but Thor and Jane assented.

"My goodness. Well, it is not a topic for now, go back to work."

Bucky leaned over to whisper to Steve, "I take it back, our relationship and family are the easiest things in the world."

"I heard that, Winter." Loki frowned, "I may have had some troubles, but I loved my children and I won't have them slandard."

"Do we get to meet your children?" Scarlet asked.

"Of course, if you would like. Though… I must say, Fenrir and Jormungandr are quite feisty. They may be beyond communication now."

"I wouldn't get near Jormungandr-"

"Hush, Thor," Loki chided, "You only fear my little serpent because he is destined to kill you."

Thor huffed, "At Ragnarok only, I do not fear him now."

"Certainly." Loki rolled his eyes for all to see. "But I would think you'd fear Fenrir."

"Fenrir is bound and has a sword within his maw, he cannot yet break free."

Loki's cheek ticked, "And my son will break free. He grows stronger by the day, and there will be a time when your ridiculous shackles will be torn. Then he can eat the mighty Odin like a snack for all those years they imprisoned him."

Steve frowned, "Why is your son captured?"

"Because he is fated to devour Odin and nothing more. They stole him from me when he was young, and raised him until they could decipher his destiny. When they found out, they chained him up, giving him little choice in the matter, even going so far as making him tear off the arm off his only friend in the process. Then, to add to the torment, they placed a sword in his maw so that he couldn't close his mouth... he whines in pain to this day…" Loki scowled, lifting Sarah slightly to indicate her, ignoring her as she frowned up at him in concern, "Imagine if someone did that to your little girl, Steve. Took her from you not a year after her birth and kept her from you, and when you finally get to see her again she's bound and fated to be tortured till she can break free herself. Even still, I can do nothing to free my children…" He shook his head, "At least I can visit them when I choose."

Sarah seemed to notice Loki's distress and reached up, tugging at his apron, saying "Wo-gi…"

His eyebrows shot up and he chuckled, centuries of repressing his sadness causing him to switch emotions abruptly, "That is what little Hel used to call me. You're a very intelligent child for a mortal, aren't you?"

At his brightened features, Sarah smiled again.

Steve swallowed, "I am truly sorry for your children, Loki."

"Do not be, they were born long before you and will be free long after you and I are gone. There is no point in apologies when neither party can do anything about it."

A shout from the other side of the intercom indicated that Natasha was having issues, "Steve! What do I do with the stuffing!?"

"You microwave it..."

"..." they all listened for a response over the sounds of simmering ingredients and boiling water, "Oh. We're going to need more stuffing."

Loki tilted his head, "Ms. Romanov... what, pray tell, did you do with the stuffing we gave you?"

"...I don't want to talk about it." She mumbled in embarrassment.

Steve sighed, pinching his nose, "Loki... can you please come over more often to teach my teammates how to cook? Obviously it's not a one man job..."

"Of course, if I get something out of it as well."

While Steve shot him an angry 'I can't believe after everything that's happened you still have have the audacity to say something like that' look, Bucky smiled, "What would you like?"

Loki pondered this, then shrugged, "Access to the bifrost. I abhor using the unworn side paths of the universe as much as I have to."

Thor's voice thundered over the intercom, "I shall do my best to sway father, or at least Heimdall, in this matter."

"Thank you... Brother." He still had trouble getting the word out sometimes, especially in conversations that involved Odin. However, he always endeavored because it made Thor light up. Literally. Thunder cracked in the distance and Sarah giggled at the familiar sound, something she had grown to associate with Thor's joyful bellows and a general happiness that spread through the adults around her. Loki smiled down at her and his eyes twinkled mischievously. "Oh, and  _Brother_ , I would  _love_  to spar with you tomorrow, as we did when we were young."

Thunder rumbled pleasantly outside and rain began to whip around the glass, the higher floors imperceptibly swaying in the wind as a preternatural darkness collapsed through the once sunny day. Charcoal clouds swirled above with lightning being the only thing to reveal the world below. "I WOULD LOVE NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS, MY BROTHER." Thor boomed over the phone and through the building, producing a strange echo. (Jane sighed and laughed defeatedly, "Thor, we've talked about volume control.") "I AM SORRY, I JUST FEEL SUCH JOY THAT MY BROTHER IS ACTING MORE HIMSELF OF LATE. ("Love, please… Your hammer… What did I say about it?") "YES, I APOLOGIZE. HAMMERS ARE NOT FOR KITCHEN WORK." ("No, they are not. And...please stop calling it through walls. This isn't our building to break…")

In the interim, Loki was grinning alongside Sarah, who was softly laughing at the unnecessary but elated escalation in volume. Bucky, finally finished with the chicken for the moment, switched his heat-proof glove from his flesh hand to his metal one so as not to burn Sarah, and came over to take his daughter into his arms. He kissed her brow and she murmured a soft, "Dada!" The two men stood cooing over the small child, their hearts pulled out through their chests and their attentions honed in on her happiness in the manner only a baby can evoke. When the thunder began to quiet, so did Sarah's focus and she began to fuss once more. Bucky handed her to Loki and quietly asked, "Can you do some magic or something for her?"

Loki peaked at Steve, making sure that he was thoroughly distracted by Bruce and Tony, who were having issues with the pumpkin bread (Pepper usually was there to help them, but lately she'd been busy with the company, and had regretfully stated she would not only be unable to help, but be absent at the dinner that night). When both men were certain all attention had deviated from them, Loki raised a free hand into Sarah's line of vision and created three green lights that slowly snaked around in the shape of an orb, leaving long trails of sea green devolving into a deep ocean blue as the moved along. Sarah's eyes widened and she reached forward, mouth parted in awe. Bucky and Loki shared an excited look at her adorable countenance of fascination, her large blue irises reflecting the magic lights that had fully captured her attention. She slipped her hand clumsily into the orb and the wisps began to play through her fingers and over her hand, so she mimicked Loki's upraised palm.

Playfully, Loki created three little blue lights that floated above her fingers, causing Sarah to gasp and make a noise of pleasant surprise. This caught Victor's attention and he chuckled, "We should see if we can't teach her magic."

"Hm?" Steve looked up from Starkphone, "Sorry, teach who magic?"

"Sarah." Victor said, cutting some vegetables with a small smile playing over his lips.

"Sarah…? Teach Sarah magi- Hey! Is that dangerous?" He gasped, noticing what Loki and Bucky were up to.

"No, Steve Rogers, your little girl is quite safe. These are nothing more than wisps of excited particles moving about, they cannot harm her. My mother used to play with Thor and I like this as babes, as do most magical guardians. If the babe has the propensity for magic, they sometimes begin to show it in this way. It is akin to a silent form of speech, they learn it through mimicking the thing that fascinates them most."

"Is...that what she's doing?" He asked, approaching hesitantly.

"No, I'm just letting her see what it might look like if she did."

He extinguished the lights and Sarah made a frustrated noise, her brow furrowing angrily and mouth downturned at the corners. She played with Loki's hand and when none of the lights came back out to play, she looked up to his eyes and pouted, "Wogi!"

He burst out laughing, "So impatient. You need to cease spoiling her." And even as he said this he returned the lights to his hands, fascinated at the joy he could cause by such a simple gesture.

The moment was cut short, another food crisis cropping up from Tony's level:

" _B-Bruce, I am so sorry!"_

" _It's just flour, Tony."_

" _Oh good, cause I did that on purpose."_

" _I figured."_

" _OW, HEY! THAT WAS HOT!"_

" _I'm sorry, Tony. But I meant to do that on purpose."_

" _Oh, it is sooooo on."_

Steve and Bucky shared a look before bolting to the elevators to contain the situation as best they could, having Silver tag along as insurance. Loki called after his son: "Stay safe, love, and don't engage the Hulk." His worried frown was soon eased when Sarah giggled, three lights slipping from her palm - red, blue, and white - causing his mouth to twist into a smile. "Victor, darling, don't tell her parents just yet but…" He nodded to the small girl's palm, "I think I shall have fun with this. I shall make… oh, Scarlet, what do they call their common mischiefs around here?"

"Pranks?" She offered, taking something out of the oven, missing what her mother was indicating in the first place.

"Ah, yes! I could make wonderful pranks from this new development. Little Sarah, how would you like to startle your parents? Hm?"

"Wogi!" She grinned.


	23. Our Thanks

After hours of mayhem, cooking, and explaining to New York that no, Thor couldn't control the storm easing over the city that day, and yes, that meant no giant Avengers balloons, they managed to set a large round table with a homemade feast. The circular design was meant to lower the tensions of the many different dominant personalities being crammed under one roof. Though it seemed to center from Steve's seat, as if somehow, subconsciously, he had claimed, and the group had surrendered, the head of the table to him. Going left from Steve was Sarah in a booster seat, Bucky, Scarlet, Silver, Victor, Loki, Thor, Jane, Fury, Bruce, Tony, Clint, and finally Natasha.

Nat nudged Steve to stop cooing over his daughter and to stand up and give a speech. He blushed and stood, looking around awkwardly. Biting his lip, he thought through what to do, having never given a speech that wasn't meant solely to arouse patriotism and courage. Now, he had something far more daunting: to make a speech that would keep the peace between the most catastrophic excuse for a family that had ever come into existence. He nodded, "Well, after a long few days, and slaving for hours over a stove, we are all here in one piece. Which is amazing, considering what we've all been through in the past year. We've destroyed New York a couple times… and whether it was on purpose or as collateral, we all saw her through to the next day. We've fought each other, and reconciled, and fought again, but as family. We've overcome another year's worth of our broken, battered mental states through our own special brand of therapy. Therapy consisting of practical jokes, social media, taking down Hydra compounds, road trips, marriage, adoption, babysitting, and then having babies. You know, cause we couldn't get enough of the destruction that followed taking care of super children."

They all chuckled, giving time for Steve to collect his thoughts before continuing, "But we took care of each other, and came out the other side all the better for it. And I'm sure we will every year. We'll fall, and we'll just have to haul each other back up again. Eventually we may only destroy the tower once every other month, instead of every other day."

"Bullshit." Tony snorted, only to get elbowed in the rib by Bruce.

"Well, we have to set a goal to shoot for, don't we?" Steve shrugged, smiling. "But I believe that, while probably being the epitome of all that could possibly be dysfunctional, we still make a fantastic team-"

"Better than the Fantastic Four-" Clint coughed and Nat nudged him lightly on the arm.

Steve grinned, "You're right. We make the best damn team that exists. Hell, I don't think there's anything that could take us down, except each other, but we won't do that. While we may act out - and we will. We all have our diagnoses of narcissism, pettiness, rage, paranoia, psychosis, and probably every other mental illness known to man - we will always come back together, because we chose this. We made our family here by choice. We aren't bound by blood, in fact none of us has a blood relative alive or decent enough to associate with. So instead we chose to love each other, to care for each other and protect one another. We have bonds here that last a lifetime, Asgardian, Jotun, or otherwise, and that's what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for every moment we chose to take all our individual problems and make them into a group effort."

He smiled to himself before continuing, "I mean seriously, we took Bruce's rage problem, which at the beginning of this year would have exhibited itself if it simply heard a loud noise, and made it so that he could have an all out food fight with snarky Tony Stark without turning green _once_. We took Bucky's memory issues and multiple personality disorder and helped him collect the puzzle pieces of his mind together and put them all back in order. We took Clint and Natasha's ignorance of their love and - well that was really just telling them to suck it up and get together already." Clint smiled and kissed Nat on the cheek, causing her to blush and put her head on his shoulder happily. "We took Loki and Victor, a pair of supervillains at the top of the world's most dangerous persons listing, and turned them into the picture of doting domesticity with their adopted children, who we freed from confinement and brought into the modern world. We took Thor and Jane and helped them control his storms and volume. We took Fury, and, hell, he hasn't caused a spy-ctastrophy, as Nat has so eloquently dubbed it, in five months. We took Tony and...did nothing. Nothing can really be fixed there."

"Because I'm awesome." Tony grinned.

Bruce rolled his eyes and gently smacked his friend's arm, "Slow your roll, Narcissus."

"Aw, you think I'm the most handsome man in the history of ever! I do too!"

"My point," Steve continued, "holds true. Nothing can be done, but we still try, come up against a Starkian wall of ego as we may. And that's why we are such an amazing family, a family that we should be thankful for. So, without further ado, because I'm starving," He raised his glass, laughing softly, "To family."

"To family!" They all chanted.

"Bam-i-wee!" Sarah attempted from her seat, where the rats Maxwell and Wilson were snuggling beside her, keeping her warm.

And so they started their first Thanksgiving dinner together that didn't end in destruction.

They ate copious amounts of food, helped to contain how much alcohol each individual consumed, let the Mini-vengers have their pick of snacks from the table, and entertained baby Sarah. The feast was delicious, well worth the day's struggle, and voices lilted about the table as the group eased in and out of each other's myriad of conversations. Often the couples would turn to each other and whisper over things, leaving Bruce, Tony, and Fury out. Fury would ignore this part of the dinner entirely, uncaring and readily assuming his lone grandfatherly position in the family. On the flip side, the scientists felt rather sullen about missing out on the experience, so they decided that they would partake of the tradition with each other, leaning in to whisper whenever a conversation was cut off due to a cutesy couple moment. While the couples' covert exchanges consisted mostly of loving sentiments or gentle corrections, Bruce and Tony's consisted of dirty science puns that devolved into mock teasing of each other, complete with girlish giggles and kissy faces.

As wine flowed and inhibitions lowered, Loki and Victor played with magic, showing off different illusions and bursts of power. Scarlet and Silver retired early to bed, taking Sarah with them to her nursery, though the baby was reluctant to leave the displays of magic. Nat and Clint began plotting against their dinner mates, while Steve and Bucky began to mumble together about how much each one loved the other. Fury dozed off at some point when Tony and Bruce tried to explain to him the different aspects of gamma radiation in detail, leaving them to be by themselves.

Somehow, they all ended up drunk except for Clint and Natasha (and Steve, who couldn't get drunk in the first place, but played along just so he could shamelessly flirt with Bucky), which set the stage for mild yet playful pranks.

By the end of the night, Loki's hair was styled by Victor to have bangs, Fury had inappropriate Sharpie drawings along his features, Steve and Bucky were handcuffed together with no key, Thor was convinced that Jane had learned magic and could wield his hammer, and Tony and Bruce were dared to kiss since they were going to be a couple for the day.

All was video taped and uploaded for when they sobered up the next morning.

* * *

"Steve…" Bucky shoved at Steve's shoulder, "Steve, hun, please… The phone."

"You're closer to it, it's on your side of the bed."

"Yeah, but my head hurts. And I know yours doesn't cause you don't get drunk."

"Mmm… just get it, I'm comfortable."

"I am too. So  _you_ just get it, you can crawl over me if you have to."

"Fine…" Steve sleepily crawled over to the phone and awkwardly stretched his un-handcuffed hand to pick up the ringing device, purposely lying all his weight over Bucky's back, "Hello, this is Steve Rogers speaking."

"Steve? Oh good." Pepper's voice came over the receiver.

"Hey, Pepper. What's going on?" Steve's head began to clear quickly, worried.

"I just wanted to call to see what damages I needed to record."

"Damages?" Steve frowned, "What damages?"

"We do this every year, Steve. What did you guys break this time?"

"...Nothing." He shrugged. "Actually."

"You're telling me you had every Avenger at dinner with two super villains, two mutants, six lab rats, one baby, and a human...and nothing exploded, was broken, hammered, smashed… nothing?"

"Nothing." Steve said, "Honestly. I mean, Tony and Bruce had a food fight, and Nat and Clint tried to stir fry the stuffing, but it was nothing we couldn't clean up - Oh! Thor did get excited while cooking, and his hammer clipped a wall, but all we had to do was patch it up. No problem at all there."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Huh… Also, about Tony and Bruce, I take it last night went...well for them?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to recall what happened.

A laugh trickled over the receiver nervously, "Oh, nothing. Just… there's a video of them kissing on Nat's twitter, with you all clapping."

Steve laughed at the memory, "Yeah, they were hammered, I'm surprised Bruce didn't go code Green on us."

"Well, he seemed too busy enjoying himself."

"Hey, Pepper, that was nothing, you know. Just a joke-"

Her laugh came back through, but it was entirely genuine this time, "Just a joke? Steve…" she caught her breath, and he could almost see her smiling and shaking her head slowly, "You're always so naive. Well, if there's nothing I have to deal with in damage costs, that means I can move ahead with Tony's new PR stunt, so I'll be gone the next few days setting that up. Can you let him know?"

"Uh… yeah. Are… you okay?"

He could hear her smile, "I'm fine. I'm actually happy."

The tone beeped and Steve hung up, looking to the man he'd been squishing, "What was that about?"

Bucky shrugged, "I think she's happy Tony's happy."

"What?"

"I mean… How often is Pepper actually around here?"

"..." Steve just shook his head.

"Exactly. How often does Tony need someone by his side?"

Steve shrugged, nodding, and raised a brow, silently indicating he realized the answer was 'always.'

"Yeah. How often is Brucie here?"

"Always." Steve sighed.

"And how often does Tony need someone 'to science' with?"

"Always."

"Can Pepper 'science?'"

"Not on Tony's level."

"Yeah. If that whole thing works out it would be as much a relief to her as to him."

"It's still weird to think about though, that she would just let him go."

"Yeah, well, it's Pepper. Out of all of us, she's the only one with actual coping skills that she can use without leading to a mental breakdown."

"True…" Steve levered himself off of Bucky just in time to hear Sarah cry, all thoughts of the strange news going out of mind.

The two men rose as one and moved to the nursery, taking care to hold Sarah together and avoid catching the cuff links on her. They moved seamlessly through the morning routines as if the metal handcuffs didn't exist, their actions so in sync with each other that they merely needed to share a look to communicate what they needed to do next. It was almost like a dance, if it weren't for Bucky having to pause to nurse his headache every so often. In those moments of silence, Steve would take Bucky into his arms and bury his face in the man's hair, wondering how, if someone loved another person like he loved Bucky, they could let them go to be with another person.

As they sat together on the sofa during one of these times, holding Sarah in between them, Steve asked Bucky if he would let him go, if Bucky were in Pepper's position.

Bucky snorted, looking up at Steve with all seriousness, "You realize I'd never be in her position. I love you, Steve. I'm not saying she doesn't love Tony, but I love you...differently. You're my world, my everything… I wouldn't let you out of my sight or away from me as much as she lets Tony be from her, and you can't allow that to happen with me either. We don't have worlds to hide in away from each other, because we find all the comfort we need in each other's arms."

Steve grinned and bumped Bucky's nose with his own, "You've grown from a cold hearted killer back into a silly sap once again…"

"Shut up, you love it…"

"I do…"

Sarah yawned from their arms and reached her hands out, observing them. A burst of red-blue light flooded forth from her palms and she giggled, letting them fall onto her chest before calmly drifting into sleep.

"Uh... Stevie? Did our daughter just-"

"Use magic?"

"Are you...?"

"Thinking of all of Thor's horror stories of Loki learning to use magic? Yeah..."

"Yep."

"We need to have Loki and Victor over a lot more."

"Definitely."

"We are still so screwed... Especially after we gave Loki bangs..."

"Oh yeah..."

"How can she even have the ability to use magic…?"

"We'll have to ask Loki…"


	24. Whoops

Loki wasn't a happy camper the next morning. Steve had risen from the couch in his room, leaving his hungover partner to relax while he gathered pain meds, only to find the god glaring over the rim of a coffee mug at a breakfast sandwich in the microwave. His stare was so intense Steve almost felt intrusive.

"Morning, Loki." He greeted as he tore from his wrist the remaining part of the handcuffs that he'd finally shattered.

"Gmmrnimm..." came the muffled reply, given mid-sip from the steaming mug.

"I see you got rid of the bangs... can magic do that?"

Loki swallowed, wincing at the coffee and/or the mention of the bangs before smacking his lips in distaste, turning his glare on the mug as if the entire ordeal were it's fault. He grumbled, "It's merely an illusion. Even magic has limits, one of which is hair growth..." the microwave beeped and he snapped his arm out, tearing off the door to the machine and tossing it across the room smoothly, "By the branches of Yggdrasil…" he hissed in pain, touching his fingers gingerly to one temple while staring at the food before him. He pulled it out, groaned: "This smells ghastly…" and proceeded to devour it.

"If you don't like it why are you eating it?"

"Because… Your fridge is incredibly bright, and therefore pain inducing. So I grabbed something blindly and...it was this infernal thing, so…" He shrugged, taking another mouthful, "Imb sho trired…" He mumbled around his food, puppy dog eyes at their worst, "Anmb…" He swallowed, "Victor has fallen into an unshakable slumber. I've never even seen Thor sleep so soundly... I didn't even get my good morning kiss…"

Steve snorted and wryly stated, "Yeah, when Bucky doesn't get his daily hug, I often wake up to find various appliances broken and all the crappy food consumed." When Loki just frowned at him, he sighed, "What's really going on?"

"...I miss my children…" Loki stuffed more of the sandwich into his mouth, trying to suppress his emotions with the borrowed time it took to finish the bite, "I need the bifrost to access them, but it's controlled by the one man I angered enough so that he will never let me see my children again..." He furrowed his brow, "I would love for them to meet my new family..." his eyes wandered and he cleared his throat, wiping below his eye to dab the moisture away. "I apologize."

"Don't, here, let me make you a real breakfast."

"Thank you, Steve." He tossed the rest of the sandwich in the garbage, moving to sit at the counter.

"No problem. And... Hey... So…" Steve took a breath, uncertain how to begin, "This morning, Sarah did something a little weird."

"And she... What, exactly?" Loki asked, rolling up his pajama pant legs, "Is it getting hot in here?"

"No, but feel free to keep on all your clothes." He replied in rhythm to the song before continuing, "And Sarah... can do that magic light thing."

"Ahhha..." Loki laughed nervously, "Yes, about that. I-"

"You knew, didn't you?" Steve glared.

"Well... yes, and no." Loki fiddled with his hands, "You see, I found out yesterday, and I was going to use that for a prank, until I realized, perhaps, I might know why your daughter can wield magic, especially at such a young age..."

"Yes...?"

"When we - Anthony and I - were attempting to bring yours and Winter's genetic material together to create Sarah, magic was required... And I believe that, unlike when a magical person births a baby that may carry the ability to  _wield_  magic, your child was specifically created  _with_ magic. And in the process, it's very possible that she took in my magic, and while she cannot  _wield_ magic, she can  _channel_  it from those around her."

"But she used it this morning with just Bucky and I-"

"Contrary to popular belief, Captain, magic is simply a form of energy you mortals have yet to grasp. She can't wield her own magic, but as long as there are intense emotions from others around her, she can channel that into a form that she can use. It means that she'll be able to use magic at a much younger age, but it will be much harder for her to control it as it is an externalized source of power..." Loki itched at his collar, blue tinges creeping along his veins, "Are you sure it isn't getting warmer in here?"

Steve paused in gathering the ingredients for breakfast, looking around, frowning.

It was getting warmer.

He and Loki shared a look before they both raised their eyes to the ceiling, "JARVIS?"

"Yes, sirs?"

Loki stood, "What is the air temperature of this room and level?"

"All levels of the tower are at their normal temperatures, however, yours is 11.3 degrees above the normal."

The two began moving towards their rooms, with Steve asking, "Any signs of a fire?"

"No, sir. It would appear, however, that there is a great deal of energy emanating from the little ice creature."

Steve and Loki shared one last look before darting into his bedroom, where they found Sarah curled up happily on the chest of a sleeping Bucky. From there, she was watching uncontrolled red lights slipping around her throughout the air. Her father grabbed Loki's arm, "What is going on?"

"Winter is content and that emotion is basically like leaving food scraps out for a mouse now that she knows she can channel it… She's simply using it all in such an uncontrolled manner that it's not exactly energy efficient. She's giving most of it off as heat instead of conserving it-"

"Wait, like that entropy thing Tony was telling me about the other day?"

"Exactly like that entropy thing Tony was telling you about the other day…" Loki moved forward hesitantly through the lights and gently reached out to touch Sarah's arm, dragging her attention from the wisps darting about the room, "Hello, little creature. Please, can we stop this?" He took her hand in his and a soft green light began to emanate from his palm, wrapping around her arms. "Do not worry, Steve," He whispered as the heat began to fall and the lights dissipated in waves, "I'm merely providing insulation so she doesn't continue to use her powers…"

"Is what she was doing going to hurt her or Buck?"

"No. Emotions can give off practically infinite amounts of energy, so Winter shan't be drained. And they only produced certain 'wavelengths', if you will, like visible light versus x-ray. Two very different things with vastly different uses. As such, to perform most spells you must have a large variety of emotions if those are your only sources of magical energy… It is highly unlikely Sarah could perform any dangerous spells, and on the bright side," He let her go so she could observe her now green hands, "Being a magical channel means she doesn't have to use herself as an incubator for energy, that way she won't tire out as easily or be subject to overstrain, since the magic isn't an integral part of her. Do you understand?" He raised a brow at Steve when he noticed his face was scrunched up in concentration.

"So… you're saying… it's like you guys have some kind of part of you that makes it easier to produce different energies all by yourself, and you need it to survive… but Sarah doesn't have that, so using a lot of magic won't hurt her?"

"Precisely. Many mages consider their magic to be their soul."

"And what do they consider someone like my daughter?"

"..." Loki gently brushed a lock of short, blond hair from Sarah's forehead, "I do not know. Perhaps an empath."

"Would they say she has a soul, though?"

"Yes, but not in the same way as they do. They believe mortals like you have a soul, and immortals like my Brother have one as well. They just come in different forms." Sarah fussed when she realized what the new gloves of light were doing and she waved her arms about as if she could shake them off, waking Bucky.

"Oh, hey, morning…" He raised a brow at the scene before him, "Way to wake a guy… What's up?"

Loki licked his lips and sighed, "Perhaps we should talk after breakfast, I am rather hungry and I believe this may take a while."

"Sure… And why are my daughter's hands green?" Bucky sat up, holding her close with worry.

* * *

Tony peered over the side of the special industrial strength crib he now kept in his lab for babysitting purposes, rocking it steadily, "So… what do we do? Control our emotions? Keep these little anti-magic kiddie gloves on her? Train her somehow? What?"

Bruce screwed his face up in concentration as he stared at Sarah, "Should I even be near her?"

"I am uncertain," Loki sighed, rubbing a hand over his features as he relaxed into the back of the wheeled chair Tony usually sat at in his lab. He'd commandeered it the moment Tony stood up, stressed and hungover for the first time in centuries.

"Be still, love," Victor whispered from behind him, as if he were interrupting, "I'm trying to fix your hair, not make it worse."

"Mmm…" Loki tilted his head back, letting the bangs fall from his eyes, "You put these here in the first place…"

"I am aware of that, and I'm sorry, which is why I'm trying to cut them off-"

Nat took that moment to walk in, shouting, "No! Don't do that! They have to grow out!"

Loki groaned, turning his hurt-puppy eyes on her, "Is there no way I can fix this now? I look like a Midgardian schoolgirl…"

"Yeah, you kinda do…" Scarlet shrugged from her perch on one of the tables, having brushed Tony's diagrams and scraps of metal out of the way to carve out a small clear area for her to sit upon.

Steve cut in, "That's not our biggest problem right now, though. Please, Loki. What are we going to do with Sarah?" He reached into the crib and pulled his daughter out, gently swaying from side to side to calm himself as much as her.

Loki let Victor run his hands through his hair and comfort him while he rolled his eyes to the heavens as if for guidance, "As I said, I am uncertain. I've never dealt with one such as her. Most of the education I received and the common lessons for young mages are null and void simply because her magic comes from without, not within. I have some experience in drawing energy from other beings, but not enough to help her. I have been attempting, since I realized what she was, to perhaps remember the name of a mage or elf or otherwise that might have known some way to assist, but… The only one I can come up with is dead."

"Mother…" Thor nodded from a stool nearby. Jane smiled sadly at the God and took his hand in hers, causing him to tip his lips up halfheartedly.

"Exactly. Frigga had the ability to teach anyone almost anything, given time and patience. Beyond her, maybe one of the elder elves, but it is unlikely they would care to teach a mortal babe…" He closed his eyes, obviously anguished, "Mother would be terribly disappointed in us, Thor. Helpless to control a simple infant and unable to do as she would have done..."

"But we could try, Brother. That is all she would have wanted from us."

"..." Loki licked his lips before nodding. "I shall  _try_  then. I shall  _try_ to contact some mages I know, and  _try_  to convince them. And then when that fails I shall  _try_ to help the child control herself, and failing that as well, I shall  _try_  to fix the messes she inadvertently causes."

"That's the spirit, Brother!" Thor grinned, missing the sarcasm entirely.

Sighing, Loki rolled his eyes, "Well, alright then. Thor, you will need to return to Asgard to collect some of my things so I can try to contact those I know who might be able to help."

"IT SHALL BE DONE!" Thor boomed as he stood, his innocent grin plastered to his face and lighting up the room, causing even Loki to shake his head and smile. "I SHALL BE BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PLEASE TAKE CARE OF LADY JANE IN MY ABSENCE." They watched as their favorite god ran from the room and in minutes heard him call for Heimdall, with the responding flash of light surrounding the tower echoed by the roar of the Bifrost.

Loki shook his head, "He doesn't even know what I need from my room."

Jane laughed softly, "He'll probably bring you your room."

"Very likely." Loki took a deep breath, clapping his hands together, "Yes. So. In the meantime I need a space to work. Anthony, might I take over the northern corner of this lab?"

"Yeah," Tony frowned at the name, "But you're gonna have to get your own chair, Reindeer Games."

"Mmph. Fair enough." He stood gracefully, and even with his mussed up pajamas and bangs he looked regal from head to toe. He waved a hand over his hair and a green layer of magic swept behind it, causing him to look like himself again. "Victor, my darlings, would you all help me set up over here?"

* * *

After a couple of hours, they'd finally managed to clean up Tony's lab, having to endure his supervision over every document and piece of machinery they moved. Loki was no better, and had to have tables set up 'just so' in a semi circular pattern so he could stand inside the curve and receive light from the floor to ceiling windows that made up the walls of the corner he'd chosen.

When they were finished, they all brought out some ice cream and perched on the desks together, waiting. They talked over ways to insulate the tower from any possible bursts of magic Sarah might give off, as well as discussing how to control their own emotions to make it easier on her. By now, Sarah had begun to get very upset at her little green anti-magic gloves, so Bucky was holding her so she could listen to his metallic arm, the only thing that kept her from outright crying in frustration.

They stayed this way for a long time, until they heard the characteristic rip in the fabric of their universe and the subsequent lightning that followed.

"Ah, good, he's finally back." Loki nodded.

They idled while Thor came down from the top of the building where he usually landed. When they heard the elevator open up, most of them just frowned in confusion at what they saw, while Jane and Loki stared in open mouthed shock.

"BROTHER, LOOK WHO I FOUND WHILST IN ASGARD!" Thor ran out of the elevator, proudly wielding Mjolnir.

Loki gave what Bucky had to dub as an adorable squeak of shock, while Jane leapt off the table gasping, "Oh my god!"

Bucky looked over the woman who strode from the elevator, and saw immediately that whoever she was, she was the one who had taught Loki how to bear himself. Their postures were nearly identical, causing her to look almost as tall as Thor despite being much smaller.

Ironically enough, it was at this point that Loki lost his usually regal air and dropped his spoon of ice cream to began an impression of a fish gasping for air. The woman smiled lovingly at him and said, "You have a lot to explain, Loki."

"I-I…" He blinked, "M-Mother?"

Victor, who'd been sitting criss-cross behind Loki, letting the man rest back into his chest, startled at this. He blushed and sat Loki up fully before looked down at their pajamas, obviously finding this one of the worst ways to meet his husband's mother. "Uh…" He was at a loss for words, "Doom is pleased to meet you."

Scarlet and Silver burst out laughing, finding their parent's reactions hilarious. Especially when Loki frowned and turned to Victor, "Really?"

"Doom is - I is - I am - I am sorry!" Victor began looking around, incredibly flustered. "I was not expecting to meet you, ever… um…" He bit his lip and pushed at Loki, obviously wanting him to take over the conversation.

Unfortunately, Loki seem just as much at a loss for words, "M-Mother… how are you here?"

Tony answered, "I know!"

Frigga gave an 'oh really?' smile, "And how is that, little mortal?"

Frowning, he replied, "Well firstly, your sons tend to refer to me as Man of Iron or Son of Stark, or Tony. We got past the 'puny mortal' bit a while ago. But as for the alive thing… I'm just going to put it out there that: a) You're magic. b) You're older than Loki, so that means you're more skilled than he is. c) Loki faked his own death  _twice_. Taking all that into account, I'm guessing you faked your death with awesome magic and then after healing, or whatever you faked your death to go do, you came back when you heard Odin was sucking at being… Odin, I guess."

Frigga laughed, "Well, that was very close. Have my sons told you how I 'perished?'"

"Sort of." Tony shrugged. "You protected Jane, got stabbed by a steroid-junky dark elf, and then got burned in a boat and sent up to the stars to be a constellation."

Snorting, (and all Bucky could think was,  _ **Dear god, the Queen of Asgard snorts exactly like her sons do**_ ) Frigga nodded, "Yes, and it was a beautiful constellation, to be sure. But no, like Loki has apparently done multiple times, I feigned death. Albeit, my illusions are far better than his, no offense, my darling."

"None taken…" Loki shrugged, still looking confused, "But why would you pretend to be dead?"

"Because," She sighed, "My family was acting ridiculous. I had a son in a prison wrought by my husband, with the other son in a prison wrought by his own broken heart. All three were acting exceptionally spoiled and selfish, when all they needed to do to fix the problem at hand was to work together. Therefore, I believed that if perhaps I perished in their eyes, they would work together just this once in my memory," She rolled her eyes in exasperation, "You would not believe the things I do to try to hold this family together. But at least it worked."

"Why did you not come back sooner?" Thor asked, settling onto a desk beside Jane, giving Frigga the floor, as if she were proceeding over a counsel of hungover superheroes. Which she partly was.

"Because, darling, your father would have never let you leave Asgard to live with Jane like Loki did. And besides, Loki was doing a fine job of ruling, and Odin, Gods be good, needed one of his glorified naps to calm himself. The only reason you both still stay in Midgard today is because I told him, 'fat man, if you do not let my sons remain with their beloveds, I will make you get out into the training grounds and put you on a Midgardian diet until you work off that belly you've gained in my absence.' As you can see, it worked quite well."

"Oh," Thor nodded, "And here I thought that it was Loki's threats that kept Odin at bay."

Frigga's eyes widened, "To be sure those were part of it." She turned to Loki, "And that's one of the things I want you to explain to me, young man. You terrorized your own people, they tremble at the very mention of you now! What, in Yggdrasil's name, were you thinking?"

"I...wasn't…" Loki took on the face of a child being scolded, "I just didn't want them harming my family, Mother…"

"Threats are no way to accomplish that-"

Bucky decided to cut in on behalf of his friend, "You just told us that you threatened Odin to protect your sons' love lives."

Frigga seemed startled that someone had talked back to her, taking a moment to look Bucky over, "Perhaps I did, but that is a very different matter as he is my husband. Who are you?"

"Winter." Loki supplied, "Urm," He shook his head, "Bucky Barnes, actually. He's a friend."

Frigga's eyes flashed at the word 'friend,' her features immediately lighting up, "Oh, truly?"

"Yes." Bucky deadpanned, holding Sarah close as she began to stir. She waved her arms around sleepily, looking for what had captured her father's attention.

Noticing the green lights encircling the infants arms, Frigga immediately strode forward, "What is this? Loki, are these yours?" She took a small hand in hers and began to inspect the rest of Sarah. "Is this mortal infant capable of magic?"

"Not...exactly. Thor, did you not explain this to Mother before you brought her here?"

"No… I was packing up everything on your desk when she came in to see what was going on… I was so excited that I brought her back here…" Thor shifted Mjolnir around in his hands, embarrassed.

Loki smacked his palm to his face, "Sometimes, Thor, I wonder how we're even-" He cut himself off with a nervous 'ahem.'

"What was that?" Thor narrowed his eyes, grinning, "What were you about to say?"

"Nothing."

"Really? Because if I didn't know any better, Brother, I would say you were about to ponder how we were even related to each other - as if you still consider us so."

"I do not know what you are talking about." Pouting, Loki snuggled back into Victor's chest, causing everyone to laugh.

Frigga stopped, looked around the small semicircle of people around her, and sighed, "I fear I do not know any of you, though as friends and family of my children I should hold you close to my heart. And you all seem… weary." Though with a quirk of her eyebrow, she suggested that she knew why they all had dark circles under their eyes and would wince whenever confronted with a loud noise, "Perhaps we could all find someplace to dine, and we can all be introduced  _properly_." She nodded at Loki, " _Quietly_." She added the last part while glancing at Thor in particular. When she was finished both gods were looking down at their feet shyly.

"Yes, Mother." The brothers intoned.

* * *

"I see." Frigga said, holding Sarah on her lap and playing with her tiny green shrouded hands, "And Loki, what do you have to say for yourself, causing such mischief with these poor mortal men again?"

Loki sighed, head resting on Victor's shoulder while he played with his food, uninterested in the small banquet of leftovers that had been set out on the round dining table, "In the words of Midgardians, as Anthony and Clint have taught me, 'whoops.'"

Frigga looked to Tony and Clint, "What does this 'whoops' mean?"

Clint shrugged, "It's basically a shorter way of saying, 'I done fucked up.'"

Tony added, "It also implies that the speaker is sorry for what they've done. Though, that depends on the way you say it."

"And did my son say it in such a way that implied an apology?"

Around the table everyone gave assent, including Sarah. "Yeah!" the infant chirped from Frigga's arms.

Steve peaked over at his daughter, "At least she hasn't learned 'no' yet…"

"No!" Nat shouted, and the others followed suit, including Bucky, much to Steve's dismay.

In response, Sarah clapped, "No!"

"Damn…" Steve sighed.

"Damn!" Sarah mimicked.

"HA!" Bucky poked Steve's chest, "Wasn't me!"

Frigga gave Bucky a scolding look, "Do not rejoice in your partner's failings! That makes for a bad marriage."

Bucky shrugged, smiling cockily, "It wasn't a failing, I think it's fantastic! Hey, Sarah," He leaned over Steve's lap to see her, "Can you say 'shit?' Say 'shiiit.'"

"Ship!"

Nat clapped, "Oh good! She's a fangirl!"

Steve let his forehead fall to the table. Gently reaching behind Bucky's back to rub Steve's spine comfortingly, Loki said, "It's okay, Captain. Sarah was doomed from the start with family like us."

Frigga rolled her eyes, "Oh for gods' sakes, I am staying here."

"What?" They asked, turning to her.

"You are all foolish creatures caring for a magical baby that requires assistance. In fact, you  _all_  need help. So I shall stay here and provide it. I won't let this girl grow up with no true mature guidance whatsoever."

"Hey, we can be mature!" Nat said past a mouthful of food.

"Yeah," Tony made his best effort to look offended, "Victor and Steve can be mature for all of us."

"Perhaps they would be if you all did not drag them into your childish games."

Bruce shrugged playfully, one of the Mini-vengers having crawled onto his shoulder at some point, "We have no idea what you're talking about."

Frigga giggled softly, rolling her eyes, "Besides, I should get to know you all better. Does this sound okay with you, Son of Stark? May I reside a bit longer in your household?"

Tony looked pleasantly surprised someone had actually asked him before moving into the Tower, "Yeah, sure thing, Mama Bear."

"Mama Bear?" She asked.

"Yep. JARVIS, make a note of that please."

"Of course, sir."

Frigga startled, clutching Sarah close, "What was that?" She peered up at the ceiling.

"My apologies, ma'am. I am Mister Stark's Artificially Intelligent butler. If you need anything just let me know, and I shall answer you promptly."

"Why, thank you, sir JARVIS. That is very kind of you."

"You are welcome, ma'am."

Sarah giggled, "Jabi!"

"Yes, and you are welcome as well, little ice creature." JARVIS said with humor lacing his voice.

"Ice creature?" Frigga looked at Sarah anew, "Can she use ice like Loki?"

"No, Mother." Loki huffed.

"Such a shame. Loki was absolutely adorable as a child, he couldn't control his Jotun powers just yet, and when he would get frustrated he'd cry then cause his tears to freeze and he'd-"

"MOM!" Loki looked absolutely mortified.

"No! Tell us more!" Nat insisted.

"Seriously!" Tony grinned, "And some stories about Thor too! JARVIS, record this please."

"Of course, Sir."

"I don't know…" Frigga began.

"Please tell us, Frigga." Victor asked politely, holding back Loki so he couldn't do anything to stop her.

"Well, alright. When Loki and Thor were little boys, barely up to my knees, there was this one incident with Odin's crows-"

"MOOM!" Now both her sons look terrified, Thor adding, "Not THAT story!"

"But it was sooo cute! The way Loki carried you home afterwards-"

"MOTHER!" Thor waved his arms helplessly.

"And the little garland you made for Loki out of flowers to cheer him up-"

"MOM!" they begged.

"And how Loki used his magic to keep the garland fresh so he could wear it for weeks after Thor gave it to him-"

"MOM! PLEASE ENOUGH!" For once Loki's volume reached Thor's and both blushed profusely.

"No!" Jane shouted, "I need to hear this story! Please tell us!"

Frigga brightened up, "Then I shall tell it to you! Despite my children's silly protests."

Both her sons hid their faces in their hands, groaning as their mother proceeded to tell embarrassing stories from their childhood.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if Frigga coming back to life will be cannon or not, but since Marvel seems to bring most characters back to life somehow, I figured I'd take a stab in the dark and have her live and see how her sons are faring.


	25. Grandma Frigga

Frigga took to being a grandmother like Sam took to the air - which was rather wonderfully. And since the Twins insisted on calling Bucky their Uncle Winter, she began to treat him as one of her own, subsequently taking Sarah in as her youngest grandchild. After centuries of her only grandchildren being monsters, underworldly goddesses, or just dead, she was excited to have three healthy, new relatives to take care of that were actually sane - this last fact making her very happy indeed.

Starting the morning after she arrived, she began to sew and enchant gloves for Sarah made from a soft grey fabric that would apparently serve the same function as Loki's insulation spell. The girl liked them far better than Loki's magic, simply because if no one looked for a while she could wiggle her way out of them and practice playing with her lights. Unfortunately for Sarah, her power was unstable, causing the atmosphere around her to heat rapidly, so she never got more than a couple minutes of freedom before JARVIS noticed the energy spike in the room. The AI attempted valiantly to keep Sarah from realizing it was him alerting her caregivers, but she soon learned. Whenever she was caught after being in the room alone, she would pout and cry with a frustrated and betrayed "Jabi!"

JARVIS seemed to feel guilt over this, or at least that's what Tony suspected it was when the AI began to allow the girl a couple more minutes to play before calling someone to take care of her (as long as he sensed no impending danger, of course). Frigga found JARVIS a very interesting creature to talk to, and, on the busy days when Bucky and Steve were out fighting crime, she would sit outside in the small garden with Sarah on her knee, chatting with the AI from a Mark VII helmet by her side. Sometimes her grandchild would reach out and play with the mask; though both knew that the girl didn't understand what they were saying, they would explain that no, the helmet was not 'Jabi,' but simply an outlet from which he spoke.

In this way, Frigga caught up on everything that had happened since her death, and each day she grew closer to Loki and Thor's families. She was especially kind to Jane and Victor, the former feeling responsible for her feigned death, and the latter simply for settling down the insanity of her son. To be sure, Loki wasn't even close to fully healed. Some days he would wake up and be distant, eyes set on the horizon as if something were coming to kill him and he had to be wary. Other days he would begin seizing in his sleep only to wake up and remember nothing, though he was subject to severe pain for hours afterwards. His children said this was normal behavior for him in Latveria, though the ice there seemed to soothe him - the only plus of being here was that he wouldn't go into sudden rages when he was unexpectedly reminded of his heritage. It was the little things sometimes, he would be laughing and wandering through the snow, only to notice his fingertips turning blue or realizing that the ice hadn't harmed his exposed skin. At this point his eyes would unfocus and he would grit his teeth, yelling in a strange tongue with an ache to kill something.

Despite his unstable nature, he was mostly harmless while at the Avenger's tower. Victor was actually the most dangerous of his small household, as he would get in arguments with Tony constantly.

Was it over their differing political views?

No.

Magic vs. Science?

No.

Victor's past as a supervillain?

Nope.

The designs of their suits?

Yes.

The problem didn't arise until a week after Thanksgiving, when Loki and Bucky were being taught by Frigga how to soothe a teething Sarah.

"Okay, now just rub her gums very gently, it eases the pain." Bucky did as Frigga instructed, almost immediately causing Sarah to stop crying. She sniffled and whimpered, her face a mess of tears and drool that Loki instinctively wiped up with a soft cloth. "Very good, both of you. Loki, I must ask, are you planning on having a baby with Victor?"

"Ah… not as of yet, we - let go, Sarah-" He gently pulled a corner of the cloth from her mouth as she tried to nibble on it, "There we go. But no, Victor and I are going to spend a couple of years caring for the Twins. They have their 'relapses' every now and again, though after their time with the Mini-vengers they've begun to learn self control, their incidents lasting only a couple minutes each. However, we want to make sure everything is alright and spend some time getting to know them better."

"Will you carry the baby if you do have one?"

"What?" Bucky looked Loki up and down. "Like- wait. You weren't joking? You can really give birth? Really?"

"Yes, shapeshifting allows for me to become a woman, if I so choose. Though it was not a particularly comfortable experience, it was necessary for my prior marriages- you should continue rubbing her gums…" He nodded to the girl as she began whimpering again.

"Oh, Sarah, shhh, it's okay, daddy's here. I'm so sorry, everything's alright, shhh…" Bucky adjusted her so she lay on his left arm as he cared for her, the music of the gears closer so she didn't have to strain to hear it. "Poor thing… So would you do that?"

"Depends upon if Victor would be comfortable with me running around as a female for a year or so. We could always do it the way you and Steve did, albeit I am unaware of a woman who would carry our baby. As generous as Natasha is, I doubt she has forgiven me fully for what I did to Barton. She certainly hasn't forgiven Victor for breaking his arm that one time..."

"Maybe she has, you could always ask just in case."

"And maybe I'll get slapped again. It's become quite popular to do so in recent history."

"But it is possibly on the horizon?" Frigga asked pointedly, "The baby that is. I've asked Thor about any children from Jane but he just got all flustered and was very vague about the whole thing."

"Funny how he spent most dinners bellowing about his conquests but the minute he falls in love he becomes a blushing maid even over things as simple as kisses."

"Love does that sometimes." Frigga grinned, "I've watched the videos of your trip and wedding with Victor and I know that you were not so different."

"Mother." Loki gave her a disapproving glare from the corner of his eye, "There is a child in the room. We should not speak of such things."

"Yeah, god forbid she hear anything like this." Bucky snorted, sarcasm dripping from every word, "With Natasha and Clint in the family it's not like she was ever exposed to-"

A large crash and grating sound tore through the tower, cutting him off. Bucky immediately tightened his grip on Sarah and placed his palm on the side of her head with his thumb over her lips- a sign the Avenger's trained her to recognize as 'you need to be quiet  _now_.'

As they listened in silence for some hint as to what was happening, Sarah was transferred to Frigga so Loki and Bucky could grab some of the emergency weapons that were kept around the tower. Sarah gripped her father's hand, scared, but he gently extricated himself with an apologetic kiss to her forehead while showing Frigga how to hold her so she stayed quiet. Loki, clipping some daggers to his belt, had his head tilted towards the ceiling, ears perked upwards almost similar to that of a startled cat, "I hear Victor and Tony… I believe that came from one of their laboratories…" His eyes darted around as he listened, worry clear on his face, "They are yelling - no - arguing with something…" Then his expression crumbled into annoyance, "Each other. The dull moronic creatures are arguing with each other over something about their suits."

Bucky sighed, "Let's get 'em. Frigga, this is called a Code Ego, it's basically where someone questions Tony's work. It's highly suggested that any innocents, especially our treasured infant," At that he leaned over to kiss Sarah's head one more time to let her know everything was okay, "Proceed to a secure level of the tower - in particular a safe room in the basement."

"Of course," She smiled, "Just let me grab her things and-"

"She has her panic gear down there, just take the stairs and go. Don't worry."

"Alright, then. Be careful."

"Don't worry, Mother." Loki sighed, clipping a small spear onto his back, "This isn't the first or last domestic I'm going to have with my husband."

She frowned at the spear, "Even I never took a weapon into a fight with Odin."

"Odin is not Victor. Thank the Gods for that." Her son chuckled, weaving his armor over himself, sans helmet, "I just hope he doesn't do too much damage."

Bucky and Loki stepped into the elevator, and Loki leaned over, pausing to listen before pressing a button for one of Tony's labs. "This isn't going to be fun. I can hear that they've both summoned their suits."

"Oh goody. It'll be just like old times."

"Except I'm here to assist."

"Oh yeah, and who's side will you take?"

"My own. From what I'm hearing this may be the most imbecilic fight Victor or Tony has entered into yet."

"What's going on?"

"Something about the designs… Not the wiring, but the way their suits look." He frowned, "I just heard something about Tony's paint job being inferior."

"Uh-oh."

"Yes. 'Uh-oh' indeed."

The doors opened and both sighed, "Of course."

The room was a mess, there were flames licking the tables and flaring out over the disordered fire hazard that was Tony's lab. Steve was already there, tossing his shield and attempting to bring both suited men down, only to have one fall and the other stand right back up. With Bucky and Loki's help they contained the situation in a couple minutes, though the damage was severe.

They decided to remove the men from each other's presence while Steve cleaned up, so Bucky escorted Tony down while Loki took his husband up. Most often, the easiest way to calm an Avenger was to expose them to an innocent, helpless individual, the inner hero switch flipping on automatically. In light of this fact, Bucky took his friend to the room in the panic level that they'd set up specifically for Sarah. Everything inside the nursery there was something that would calm the girl down immediately, but was only used for special occasions such as this. Tony shed his suit in the elevator before walking out into the hall, "Stupid criminals. So what they had a sudden moral change of heart? They were consciously mass murderers, I mean, I'm sheltering the damned  _psychopaths_ , and they dare to insult my work?" Entering Sarah's room, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Frigga was rocking the small baby, who was holding the very worn Captain America bear that used to be his, looking more peaceful than she'd been since her teeth started coming in.

"Huh." He moved closer tentatively, "You know," He muttered, reaching out to stroke her hair, "I held him for comfort when I was a baby too… you're lucky you've got the real thing…"

"Tobi!" She murmured happily.

His lips twitched into a smile, "Fuck those stupid villains. I can't stay angry at them when I know this little precious girl is here because of their magic." He frowned again, "What  _is_  going on with her hair though? I may just be overreacting, but is that normal?"

"I don't know, I assumed so…" Bucky came over to look.

"Not usually, at least not with this sharp a definition between the colors," Frigga offered, "Have you ever heard of calico cats?"

Tony's eyes widened, "Are you saying this is like… She's a calico? But that's impossible, humans don't have the genes for hair or eye color on their X chromosome, so Barr bodies have nothing to do with this."

"No, but you had my son use magic to mix up James and Steve's DNA, yes?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well, magic is not one hundred percent precise. It is highly likely that they accidentally mixed up her… alleles, I believe is what JARVIS said you human's call them. For example let's discuss her hair color. Usually there would be one allele from James, and another from Steve. However, James's chromosome would have been affected in such a way that Steve's allele for blonde hair is on it, and his allele for brown hair was transferred to Steve's chromosome. And not only during the initial fertilization, but multiple times during her first few days of development as an embryo, so that the cells had genetic inconsistencies during mitosis that lead to some daughter cells with chromosomes that have two of Steve's blonde allele instead of one allele from each of her parents... Loki used his magic to keep her alive while she was outside the womb, but I believe, by pure accident, the DNA was further scrambled in the process because he was unable to change his initial spell, which was meant mostly to blend her genetics, without risking her being harmed. The entire procedure was experimental and a new spell might not have worked and ended end up killing her. Therefore the way her cells differentiated during her first few days means that all the cells in her body are a little different, but obviously not enough to cause many problems. If it did, she'd be dead by now. All that's happened is some phenotypic inconsistencies which aren't too terribly noticeable. If you look, her eyes are beginning to exhibit darker flecks like James's, and her skin has patches that are slightly darker than the others or slightly lighter, yet you can barely notice it." To exemplify this she traced her finger over Sarah's arms, and now that they looked for it they saw the marked differences.

"What about her blood, won't that cause issues with her immune system?" Bucky asked.

"You're both O negative." Tony muttered, thinking over the possibilities. "You're lucky as hell on that front. No mixing issues there."

"Oh, good… What about genetic diseases?"

Frigga took one of Sarah's hands in hers, the girl curling her fist around Frigga's forefinger, "I am uncertain of that, we will have to wait and see. However, with Loki and I beside you, it is unlikely that if she has a disease that it will prove fatal for her."

"Thank you…" The tension in Bucky's shoulders eased and he sat down. "Every other day it's like something new pops up - like people are just writing our lives for entertainment. I mean - think about Hydra and everything they've done, especially with Steve and I… it's so convenient." He glared at Frigga. "And your sons  _do_ go through rapid changes of moral ideals in short periods of time after years of stubbornly sticking to one mindset… My child's genetics were all mixed up and she just happens to be okay… You aren't tampering with anything, are you?"

"I can't do that. If I could, none of the problems would have happened in the first place."

"Then someone must be-"

"Don't become self-aware, Bucky, you'll break the fourth wall." Tony nudged his shin with his foot.

"What fourth wall?" Frigga asked.

"It's just a saying we use to describe the barrier between the audience and a show or the reader and the book. To 'break it' you separate yourself from the story to become 'self-aware,' meaning you realize that what is happening to you is being written, and then directly address the audience."

"..." Frigga looked around, "Is there one now?"

Tony twitched, "I- I don't think so…" He glanced to Bucky, "You were about to become self-aware. Did you feel the wall?"

Bucky rolled his eyes, "No, I was just saying. Also, while we're in this train of thought, do large parts of our lives seem… contrived to you?"

"Hey! If our lives were stories, they would be epic stories of our heroism and amazing exploits. Contrived my ass, all the things we do to save people -"

"It is a little convenient though. Those Chitauri did all die after their mothership was hit-" Frigga offered.

"And you just happened to have everything you needed to make an arc reactor and suit -  _in a cave."_

"... Fuck you, Winter. I'm awesome.  _That's_  how I survive." Tony raised his arms out as if basking in his own ego, "Anyway, if it's contrived then at least no-one truly good is going to die."

"That is a nice thought," Frigga smiled, "Though if it were contrived, then perhaps my spells wouldn't have drained me of energy for months after my 'death'… and I would have been spared the subsequent migraines."

"Yeah, hopefully if nothing else they spare Sarah's teething pains…" Bucky sighed as he watched his child gnawing on a small teething ring in an effort to ease her discomfort.

"CLINT HAS REQUESTED CHINESE!" Thor's voice boomed throughout the building.

Tony cheered, "That's exactly what I wanted to eat today!"

"Contrived-"

"Shut up, Bucky, you'll upset the benevolent god!"

"Benevolent? Tell your God to make my baby stop hurting!"

"Then maybe you should stop questioning it."

Bucky stopped speaking and the two men stared at each other, listening to Sarah continue to whimper in pain. Bucky snorted when nothing happened and took Sarah into his arms, "Come here…" After a moment of listening to her father's arm whirring and chewing on her ring, she settled down, "There we go… much better."

"Benevolent!" Tony pointed to Sarah, grinning.

"That was all me, not a God."

"Your arm is pretty convenient."

Bucky rolled his eyes, "It wasn't convenient. But if all of the shit I had to go through to get this arm means that my little girl can rest easy, then I'd do it all over again."

"But in all seriousness," Tony shrugged, turning on his heel, "Personally I don't believe we're being written. What's your take on it, Mama Bear?"

Frigga smiled, having used the past couple of minutes to clean up the area, "Even Asgardians do not know what dictates fate."

"Do you believe in fate?" Tony asked, opening the door for the others.

"I believe in perseverance and skill." She nodded in thanks, passing through after Bucky. "And favorable chances being utilized."

Tony grinned, "I like you, you know. And JARVIS does too. You should come check out the lab, I bet you'd make a great scientist."

"Our people call scientists mages, and yes, I am a great mage." She reached for the elevator button, "May I try this? The moving room looks so fun to operate!"

The men behind her shared a smile and nodded.

She poked the 'up' button, looking very pleased with herself, "I do believe I've figured the contraption out! It is a rather enjoyable experience, and I hoped to install some in Asgard upon my return."

"Just let me know, I'm willing to go-"

"You just want to visit Asgard." Bucky interrupted.

"Of course I do. It sounds fucking amazing."

"It is 'fucking amazing,' as you say." The Allmother agreed.

"Did she just cuss?" Tony pointed, "Aren't you breaking some ancient law of queenly etiquette? What is happening? Winter, tell her that's not alright- I'm telling your sons you said that."

She laughed, "My sons know full well the range of curses that have fallen from my lips - most because of them."

"That's gotta be scary…" Tony muttered.

"Last time I became truly angry at them for fighting they were so terrified that they overcame their differences to hide from my wrath for three weeks. I let them think their camaraderie worked, even though I knew where they were almost constantly, thanks to Heimdall. From then on they were friends up until Thor's coronation…" She shook her head, "Why didn't I just stop Odin and confront the both of them?"

"Beats me." Bucky sighed as they stepped into the elevator.

"Why didn't I make Odin let me handle it- I  _always_ handle it…" She frowned. "That is strange. I can't remember why… Oh! Right, he fell into the Odinsleep."

"Yeah, Loki said that he fell asleep right after he confronted him about his parentage." Tony leaned against the wall as Frigga pressed the button for the top floor. "That's convenient in an entirely different way."

"Oh, I'm fully aware. Whenever he angers me the Odinsleep is somehow imperative to his survival and it must happen immediately."

"Really? God, I wish I had an Tonysleep…"

"I had a Wintersleep, and trust me, it's not that great…"

"I'll take your word on that, Snowflake."

* * *

As the group convened that night around the table with Chinese take-out, Frigga reached over and took one of the fortune cookies in hand. "Now, what are these? They have paper within them…"

"Fortune cookies," Thor explained, proudly displaying his knowledge of Midgardian customs, "They are small hollow treats that contain a slip which will tell you a fortune, teach you a word in Chinese, and is inscribed with lucky numbers."

Jane nudged Thor's shoulder, "Though it should be noted that they are just for fun. I forgot to tell Thor this and after he got a fortune saying 'you will become great if you believe in yourself,' he proceeded to meditate the rest of the day for 8 hours, as that was his lucky number, while chanting the Chinese word for soup and 'believing in himself.'"

Silver snorted up his drink and the others burst out laughing, and while Loki smiled and shook his head, "While humorous, it is easy to see why my Brother might be misled when you did not tell him that these 'fortunes' are for entertainment only. Do not tease him."

"Are you attempting to protect my feelings, Brother?"

Loki's mood soured and he turned away, "No."

Tony had opened his fortune cookie as they spoke and barked out a laugh, causing everyone to look over at him. He held up the paper for all to see, "Everyone agrees, you are the best." He grinned, "Hell, yeah I am."

Nodding to her sons, Frigga waved at the cookies, "Open yours."

Dutifully, her sons obeyed and Loki snorted, "Let your deeds speak." Thor frowned, reading his right after his brother's, "Never give up, always find a reason to keep trying."

Frigga cracked her cookie open, and after a moment she grinned, "'Fortune favors the bold…' Well then. I shall be bold." She stood up promptly and grabbed Loki's hand, pulling him from his seat and leading him to Thor, "I have watched you two play about being brothers since I returned, and I am done with it. Now, I am your mother, and I'm going to be bold and speed things up a little. Hug like you used to, or you are grounded."

Both men frowned, Loki stating, "You can't ground us-"

"Mother, we are a thousand years old-"

"And we have our own families now-"

"You really cannot ground us."

"Besides," Loki shrugged, "He can fly!"

"Not if I take his hammer." She said with a smile. "I am still your mother, aren't I? Now, hug."

They each gave her their customary stubborn looks.

"I'm not asking twice. Do you remember the time when you both leveled the southern district with your antics? Do you remember your punishment? I will count to three an-"

Loki threw his arms around Thor, "Love you, you've always been my big brother, you're the best, thank you for everything you've done. I really do love you so. Best friends." He let go and jumped back, "Good?"

"Thor said nothing. So I guess that means-" Frigga shrugged.

Thor, still stunned, let out a joyful sound suspiciously similar to a squee, and drew his brother into a crushing hug. "I LOVE YOU AS WELL, MY DARLING LITTLE BROTHER. I SHALL ALWAYS BE THERE TO PROTECT YOU AND SAVE YOU, NO MATTER HOW CRAZED YOU BECOME. I WILL NEVER LOSE FAITH IN YOU AGAIN."

"Ga-GAH! Thor! My bones! You're- Ow!"

Frigga laughed, "All better."

She moved back to her seat, meanwhile watching as Thor quite literally smothered his brother with love. It was Jane who finally coaxed Thor to release Loki, who promptly collapsed onto the ground, wheezing, "I...forgot… about those hugs…"

"Sorry, Brother…" Thor mumbled.

"Do not be…" Loki rose with a hand on the table to steady himself, breathing deeply while looking his brother up and down uneasily, "If I hug you one more time, will you hug me back -  _gently_  - and not… murder me?"

"OF COURSE!" Thor grinned, opening his arms.

Loki raised a brow at the outburst, "You're not making me feel any better about this…" Yet still he reached his arms out and gingerly embraced his brother. When Thor was careful, Loki smiled, "See? Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?"

Thor snorted, "Do not ruin the moment with foul memories."

"Foul? I do believe that was when I met the Avengers, I do not see that as so foul… despite being shot multiple times."

"Well, you killed multiple people." Nat commented, flipping her own cookie around her fingers.

"Now who's bringing up foul memories?" He pulled away from his brother, moving to sit down, "And what is your fortune, Miss Romanov? Or would you like to wallow in what has happened? Perhaps we can recount our own little exchange of words, I'm sure that was pleasant for you as well- What?"

"'Accept your past without regrets. Handle the present with confidence. Face your future without fears…'" Nat huffed in laughter, displaying the fortune she'd just found, "My ledger?"

"I think you've wiped out enough red." The god smiled at the memory, "Even if the pages are still a tad pinkish."

She rolled her eyes, "That's good enough for me. What about you, honey?" She nudged Clint with the leg she had resting on his chair, "What's in your's?"

He cracked his open, eating the snack before looking at the paper, "'Sometimes you just need to lay on the floor.' Floor? I don't lie on mere floors. What about you, Brucie?"

Bruce regarded the snack before crumbling the cookie in his palm, sprinkling the bits over his food as a topping. He then took the paper from his fist and uncrumpled it, "'You will be successful in love.'" He shook his head, "Fortune must really hate someone. Alright, passing it on. You next, Jane."

Jane nodded, carefully cracking open the cookie, making sure not to leave a mess before reading, "'Welcome the change coming into your life.' Change…?" She tilted her head and seemed to be thinking of something, "Change, change… changechangechange…"

"Jane?" Thor took her hand.

"Hm?" She startled, looking up at him then around, blushing, "Oh, I'm sorry…"

"She does that sometimes-" A voice cut in, and they turned to see a dark haired woman, "Hey friend. I got your text this morning. You know, you and I should adjourn to another room. Like. Your room. So we can talk about that text you sent."

Jane glared up at her, then glanced around nervously before excusing herself, hissing to Darcy, "How did you even get in here?"

"The cool British ceiling told me I could come up!"

The door closed behind them and everyone frowned. Thor tilted his head, "I worry…"

Loki scrunched his brow up, "Is that the being that bested you?"

"With a taser, yes."

"You disappoint me, Brother."

"Well, while Jane's accepting some change," Tony clapped his hands, "Let's see what else is gonna happen. Who's next? Pepper?"

Pepper opened hers and shook her head, "God only knows, these appear to be coming true rapid...ly." She tilted her head and smiled softly at hers.

"What?" Tony peaked over and frowned, "What's funny about that?"

"Nothing." She smiled, "I'm just happy is all."

"What does it say, Lady Pepper?" Thor asked, curious.

"It is better to be alone sometimes."

"Vacation time for you?" Tony smiled, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Vacation time for me." She agreed. "Who's next? Scarlet?"

"Sure!" The woman grinned wildly, opening hers up quickly, "Let's see… 'You will have a pleasant surprise!' That sounds fun. Silver, your turn. Quick, before a surprise pops up to interrupt us."

Silver swallowed his food and picked his up, pulling the corner of the fortune out instead of breaking the cookie. "Here: 'An admirer is concealing his or her affection for you...' Oh, I hope it's the cashier at Starbucks…" He smiled off into the distance before Scarlet flicked his head.

"She has a boyfriend."

"How do you know?"

"She told me - not that you listen to what she says when she chats with us."

"Then who is this about, hm?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ice cream girl!"

"Ooooh! Ice cream girl!" He nodded as if his sister had just given him sage advice.

Victor frowned down at them, "What on earth have you been up to lately?"

"Food." They shrugged.

Loki sighed, "Truly, I am surprised you two are not obese."

Bypassing the comment, Silver continued, "Alright, who's next. Sam?"

Sam picked up his cookie and held it out as if it were toxic, "I dunno… this seems to be really weird today…"

"Do it." Steve poked his shoulder playfully.

"Fine…" He opened it in a manner that suggested he wished he were using tongs instead of his fingers, staring suspiciously at the paper slip as he read, "Your wish will come true…" He frowned harder and harder until his features suddenly eased, "Oh!" He grinned. "Well good then."

"What's your wish?" Bucky asked.

"Nothing. Tony knows."

"I do? OH!" He laughed. "Well let's hope so."

Everyone stared at the two in silence until Sam smiled, waving to Victor, "Go."

Victor winced, "I'm too superstitious for these things…" But then he smiled at his slip of paper, "Love can last a lifetime if you want it to." He looked over the heads of the Twins at Loki, who had been sitting away from him in annoyance for the meal. "Loki…"

"Hmpf. Fine…" Loki got up and traded seats with Scarlet, sitting down and leaning his head on Victor's shoulder.

"My apologies for today."

"Mmm." Loki nuzzled his arm.

"Alright then, who's left?" Victor looked over his companions, "Winter?"

Bucky nodded, opening his without further ado. He stilled, "You will marry your lover." He raised a brow at Steve, who was beet red.

"Dude, Tony-" Sam said, only to be cut off with a 'shh' from him.

"Don't jinx it!"

Steve flushed even more, "Um…"

Bucky laughed, "Relax, yours next."

Steve took two tries to open his, fingers fumbling, though when he saw it his flush drained and his expression softened. "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" He laughed, "I, uh… Mmm…" He shook his head, and tilted it to regard Bucky, "James Buchanan Barnes."

Bucky's smile faltered, wondering if this wasn't a joke, "What?"

Steve stood up, "I apologize, I'm a little old fashioned." He pushed his chair back to make space and knelt down.

Bucky's jaw dropped.

**HolyshitHolyshitHolyshit.**

_Ohmygod, yes, ohmygod, yes._

He was terribly aware that he was just sitting there in shock as the two parts of him split apart once more to resume their normal freakout positions. Winter was literally going through the statistics of whether fight or flight was best in this scenario, whereas Barnes was flailing his hands and squeeing like a school girl.

**Shut up I can't think-**

_Who cares!? Steve is kneeling before you asking you-_

**This might not even be that!**

"Okay," Steve rested one forearm over his knee as he reached into his back pocket, "Been waiting for a right time recently, but with the baby we had out of wedlock it's been a little hard. However, I guess now is perfect, at least for our family, considering the fortunes we just read." He pulled out a small black box, chuckling, "I was also worried you might be planning to do the same, but," He shrugged, clearing his throat.

_Thats a ring case-_

**It could hold anything-**

_Like what?_

**A computer chip.**

_Just shut up._

"James Buchanan Barnes."

_That's our full name. That's our full name._

**Oh my god.**

"Will you do me the honor-"

_YESYESYES_

**WAIT.**

"Of being my husband?" And with that he opened the small box, holding a wedding band, rather than a diamond.

Winter opened his mouth and a squeak came out.

Steve frowned, "Buck?"

Bucky shook his head and cleared his throat, collecting his two personalities together, "Y-Yes! Of course, um, yeah! To be honest, I actually got a ring for you too, but- wait, is this… Steve are these your dog tag numbers?"

"Um, yeah." Steve shrugged. "Don't worry, the rings aren't lead. Platinum, actually."

"Show off." Tony said into his drink.

"Shut up." Steve didn't even spare him a look.

"Really? You- your dog tag numbers?"

"Yeah… was that not okay?"

"Yeah." Bucky pouted. "Wait here a moment." He shook his head.

_I cannot believe him._

**He's been looking through our stuff.**

Bucky stormed off, leaving Steve kneeling on the ground, confused.

When he came back, he found it humorous that no one had moved, or seemed to have even spoken, and he handed Steve the box. "I told you I got you a ring." As he opened it, Bucky added, "You know... platinum. I had it engraved too." Steve began to laugh, one of his genuine, side-splitting laughs that made Bucky tense with worry because he was still so certain that it would devolve into an asthma attack. "Oh, shut up."

"What is it?" Silver asked.

Catching his breath, Steve took the ring out, "Buck's dog tag numbers."

"Yeah, then you won't have to-"

"Wear the damned poisonous things-"

"Around Sarah." They both finished.

"Aw look," Tony cooed, "Now they're-"

"Finishing each other's sentences." Bruce supplied with feigned goo-goo eyes.

"Anthony, Bruce," Loki chided, "If finishing sentences were a marked sign of the highest form of love, you two would be crowned the most perfect couple for each other, as you finish each other's sentences of nonsensical scientific factoids with large, possibly made up words."

"True." The two men answered.

Bucky and Steve slipped on their respective rings and reached into their shirts, removing the tags from their necks, "Where are we going to put these?" He asked Steve.

"Mm. Can hang them up on the corner of the bed till she starts moving around. I'm sure we'll find somewhere else by then."

"Sounds good."

Tony grinned, "Sooo, who's the best man?"

Steve sighed, "I'm sorry, Tony, but my best man is Sam."

"Maid of honor." Sam corrected.

"What?" Bucky asked.

"Bucky's will be the best man, Steve's is the maid of honor."

Steve chuckled, "You don't have to be-"

"But I want to be. That was my wish. I wanna catch the bouquet because I want a girlfriend, stat."

Tony nodded, "See, Sam? Told you. Maid of honor catching the flowers. Foolproof method, and it's right there for the taking."

Steve rolled his eyes, "I'll be sure to toss it right to you."

"You better."

"So," Scarlet asked, "Who's Bucky's?"

Bucky stopped to think, "That's a hard choice…" He raised his arm to point across the table.

"Yeah!" Clint stood, fists in the air.

"Not you. Nat." Bucky moved his arm to the side to make it more obvious who the target of the gesture was.

Natasha laughed, clapping in joy, while Clint froze before nodding and laying on the ground. "Fortune fulfilled."

After a moment of laughter, Nat stopped and reached across the table to swipe up the last cookie, "Who's this for?"

"Sarah." Scarlet smiled. She took it and moved over towards the baby, who was in a crib by her fathers, gnawing at a carrot. "Hey, little rabbit." She opened the fortune and read it, "'Unleash your life force...' Huh." She shrugged.

Loki nodded, "That's considered a nice sentiment for one who can use magic, you see-"

Suddenly the doors opened and a flustered Jane trailed Darcy, who took in the scene, "You two didn't have rings before, did you? And is he okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Thor Taser." Clint answered from the floor.

"Great, cool. I hope we're not interrupting anything, 'cause Jane has something important to say."

"Darcy, quiet. Thor can I talk to you a moment?"

"But of course." He moved with her out of the room.

Darcy turned to look around before catching Silver's eye, "Oh hey, its you! How'd you like the Klondike bar?"

Scarlet snapped her fingers, "I knew it! I knew I recognized you, you're the ice cream girl."

"Yeah! And you're this guy's sister, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"Cool! Hey, so Jane and I were gonna go to visit Erik in England, but I think she'll be preoccupied for a bit, so you wanna come? My intern quit too, meaning you can bring your handsome brother along to help."

"Sure! I've always wanted to visit there!"

"Great!"

"So when would this trip-" Scarlet was cut off by Thor's joyful shout.

The single word was so loud it was almost unintelligible, "PREGNANT!?"

"Well, there goes that mystery…" Bruce gripped the table in fright. Tony got up and gently pat his shoulder to help calm him down.

Thor broke through the hallway doors into the room, "JANE IS PREGNANT WITH MY CHILD!" In his arms Jane was blushing and laughing nervously.

"Thor, honey, put me down."

Loki stood and walked over, reaching out to touch Jane's stomach, "Excuse me, Lady Jane."

"Uh, sure thing?" She looked between the brothers and when she saw that Thor seemed okay, she let Loki do whatever he was doing, holding her hands up from her stomach to give him room.

Loki nodded, "Yes, definitely half Asgardian. Three weeks old." He smiled, "Congratulations. I only hope it does not wield a hammer at five years of age."

"I am still sorry about that, Brother, but you know I did not realize my own strength."

"I forgave you long ago for that," Loki rolled his eyes, "My arm healed, did it not?"

"Then why bring it up?"

"Because unlike me, your child will not be as easily healed."

"True…" Thor smiled at Jane, "Then I will keep Mjolnir out of reach."

"I wasn't exactly talking about your child being the only one to wield the hammer…" Loki sighed.

Jane snorted, "Trust me, Thor won't be brandishing Mjolnir anywhere near my stomach."

"Yeah, Mew-Mew is a little too dangerous for that." Darcy nodded.

"Mjolnir." Loki corrected, dragging out the syllables, "Myol-near."

"Mew-Mew."

"Are you daft?" He asked.

Jane reached over and touched Loki's arm, "Just… let her go."

"Oh, can we name the kid Mew-Mew!"

"My god, MJOLNIR." Loki facepalmed, "It isn't so complicated! The hammer is not named after the sound a kitten makes! It is an ancient, proud word meaning 'that which smashes.' And neither Mew-Mew nor Mjolnir are names for a child, most definitely not my neice or nephew. Because if a name reflects the person, then I would not wish a creature embodying either idea to be in my family - at least no more than once. Thor has already done enough 'smashing' for a lifetime. Believe me."

"I agree with Loki." Jane nodded, patting the god's arm, "And this one's got the kitten part down anyway."

"Thank you. A voice of reason." Loki smiled at her, "We shall get along just fin- Wait, did you just call me a kitten!?"

* * *

The night proceeded with small arguments, congratulations, explanations, and eventually everyone wandering off to bed except Tony and Frigga, who had offered to clean up. As they did so, Tony looked up from the plates he was collecting, "So, what about your fate idea?"

"Oh, it hasn't changed. Like I said, perseverance. Skill. Favorable chances being utilized… Such as your program JARVIS and a little magic. You know, some observances, even in a week, can go quite a long way if you know what to do with them. Especially when you're used to dealing with stubborn people who ignore their own feelings."

Tony paused in his cleaning, watching the woman flit about, waving away any food that had gotten on the table, "You did this? The whole thing that happened tonight…?"

"Hm? Did I?" She swept some bowls up into her arms, "What do you think?"

"...I think you're the best Asgardian I've met yet."

"Will ever meet." She corrected with a knowing smile.

"I'm not arguing with you there, Mama Bear. Feel free to stay as long as you like, by the way. Observe and all that."

"I told you when I said I wanted to stay that I did so to assist you all. You need it."

"Yeah… We do…" Tony looked out the window, lost in thought. When he realized he'd just wandered off in his mind, he looked back, only to realize she was gone and the table was clean, "Damn."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I haven't really 'scienced' in a couple months, so forgive any logical holes that are likely in Frigga's theoretical explanation of Sarah being a Calico. And I'm sorry for how long this chapter was... it just sort of happened XD


	26. Shoes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's the start of the school year again, I've been super busy so I wrote you just a short St. Nick's day story. It's really silly, but hopefully that's okay. Thank you for all your support, and the Christmas chapter will be coming up soon.

"Dude, come on, just put them out-"

"Sam, don't push it-"

"I'm sorry, Cap, but seriously? It's tradition! Even Asgardian's have to take part-"

"I'm not Asgardian-"

"Alien, Giant, whatever. Everyone. Put your shoes by the damn fireplace already."

Loki huffed out in annoyance, his family watching him carefully to see what he would do. Already, seven pairs of shoes were lying by Steve's fireplace. He grumbled angrily, "Why not Sarah?"

Bucky grinned, toeing his own shoes aside to show a pair of small pink sneakers hiding between his and Steve's. "Done."

"She doesn't wear those-"

"She will when she gets big enough." Bucky shrugged, "Loki. Shoes. Fireplace. Now." With each word he pointed to it's subject, his tone firm yet playful.

"Fine! Dull creatures, with your ridiculous holidays... making me walk around in socks." He pulled off his boots and set them beside Victor's. "If anything happens to them, I will-"

"Eviscerate us?" Sam offered.

Giving him an approving look, Loki nodded, "I was going to say maimed, but eviscerate is much better."

Steve snorted, patting Loki's shoulder, "Good to know the holiday spirit is strong with this one. Now it's bedtime- everyone." He waved them all to their rooms, but Frigga lingered.

"What is the point of this tradition if there is no one to leave treats in the shoes, as you say? There is no magical St. Nick…" She shrugged, "I don't understand."

"It's just a tradition." Sam peaked around the hallway to make sure the others were in bed before he nodded to Steve, who opened a closet door and pulled out a bag of candy. "There's no real St. Nick, instead the parents put the treats and gifts by the fireplace." He waved to indicate Steve and Bucky, who were kneeling by the shoes and placing treats by them.

Frigga smiled but cocked her head, "I do not understand the point then. You Midgardians are quite strange…"

"Yeah, well. We like to have our fun." Sam moved to the kitchen, "Anyone want something to drink."

"Tea?" Steve bumped his cheek into Bucky's shoulder to get his attention.

"Sure."

"Tea for us." He offered, slightly louder so that Sam could hear.

"Sleepytime?"

"Of course."

"Anything for you, Mama Bear?"

"Yes, this sleepytime tea sounds like something I might like to try. May I see how it is prepared?"

Sam snorted, "Sure thing."

In the kitchen, Frigga softened her voice for just them to hear, "I still am uncertain how this is considered fun…"

"Well, it's something our parents tell us as kids." He shrugged. "Then when you grow up, you find out that it's just a story, but you keep doing it because it reminds you of what it felt like to believe in magic and that silly idea that not everyone who intrudes in your home is there to kill you, so." He chuckled, "Makes you feel safe, warm, loved. Well, that's what the holidays are supposed to do, but… this is my first Christmas hanging around the Avengers tower so I'm not entirely sure that's what happens here. Feels close to it though."

Frigga smiled as she mimicked his actions to prepare her own tea, "Are you missing your family?"

"Well, yeah, sort of. But after the past year or so, telling them about my job and my friends, they said I didn't have to keep coming back when I had made a family of my own up here that needed someone to stop them from breaking Manhattan every couple of weeks. Besides, I was getting tired of having them ask why I wasn't bringing a girlfriend home yet, so," He shrugged, "I figured Christmas here would be a nice distraction from that."

The two turned to check on Steve and Bucky, smiling when they saw the men sitting together, watching the fire as they snuggled, the picture of a happy couple. Frigga took a sip of her tea and nodded, "This is quite good. So, Sam, what do you look for in a potential partner?"

Sam just about spit up in his own tea, "I, uh, dunno…" He took a second to eye Frigga, making sure there were no alternative motives she had. Satisfied with whatever he saw, he shrugged, "I dunno. Strong. Smart. Sweet. General things like that."

"Are you attracted to men or women?"

"Women…" He frowned in confusion, "Why?"

"Nothing, darling, I'm just curious."

"Forgive me, but I'm not sure I truly believe the Queen of Gods is going to randomly take an interest in my love life."

"I take an interest in the happiness of everyone's life who I consider family. You are very close to Steve and Bucky, who are very close to my son. Therefore I consider you family, and therefore your happiness is of interest to me." She raised a brow, "Or am I wrong?"

Sam shook his head, pressing his lips together, "Nah, just seems weird to me."

"Would you rather your woman be a warrior or a mage?"

Sam's eyes widened, "Are you planning on setting me up with someone?"

"No, I wouldn't even think of it." She put a hand over her heart as if affronted, "I'm simply asking because it reveals what type of person you would like." Her demeanor suddenly changed from a lady to that of a mother once more, "So, if you had the choice, which would it be?"

"Um… I don't know…" He shrugged, gesturing for words. "Warrior, I guess."

"Hm." She grinned, seemingly please. "Thank you for confiding in me." She wandered off, humming to herself.

When she left he shook his head, "I swear to God, I feel like I just walked myself into a trap…"

* * *

"Uncle Winter! Uncle Winter!"

"Oh god…" Bucky mumbled into Steve's ear. "We've woken up in a Christmas program…"

"Wake up! Wake up! There are gifts!"

Steve mumbled something about waiting a few more minutes, while Bucky grumbled, "Chill, guys…"

Two strong hands grabbed him and pulled him from the warm embrace Steve usually kept him in, making him squawk with surprise. He tumbled to the ground to find Silver and Scarlet's bright faces, "You were right! There's candy!"

"Oh god…" Steve muttered, causing Bucky to roll his head so he could look under the bed to the other side where his partner lay, having somehow been deposited on the floor there, "This  _is_  a Christmas program."

"Yeah," Sam laughed from the doorway, "They did this to me too."

"Did you guys put it there?" Scarlet asked, poking Bucky's cheek.

"Mmm." He replied, trying to curl back up into what residual warmth was left from Steve on his clothes.

"Wake up!" Silver shook him far too quickly, making him feel like his brain had literally rattled around in his skull.

"Is someone dead!?"

"My thoughts exactly…" Loki grumbled from down the hallway. "Oh! Yarn!"

Sam looked out the doorway with an expression of disbelief, "Are you sure you're a frost giant? Like, your dad didn't just say that so he could excuse himself for picking up a kitten and turning it into a humanoid creature?"

"Silence, mortal… Natasha, if you continue to take pictures-"

"Eviscerate?"

"Exactly. I like that. Eviscerate. It's enjoyable… as is this yarn-"

Victor's sigh leaked into the room, "You have no idea what you've done. He'll play with it for hours-"

"I can see the universe in it!" Loki pouted, "I enjoy it!"

"I know you do…"

"BROTHER!" Thor's voice was the ticket to shaking off the rest of sleep, and Bucky sat up, moving outside the room in a fashion reminiscent of a zombie, "WHAT DID YOU GET FROM THE MAGICAL SHOES?!"

"Yarn…" Loki's voice was that of someone mesmerized and Bucky's eyebrows rose at what he saw. Tony had suggested the ball of red yarn as a joke gift, but to everyone's surprise, laying on his back tossing the yarn in the air with a fascination that bordered on worship, was Loki von Doom

"Oh dear…" Thor frowned, "The magic shoes have given my brother that which is the only item able to entrance him."

Jane had a look Bucky could only describe as one you saw when a woman was watching a viral video of an adorable kitten. She approached her brother-in-law and caught the yarn mid-air. Thor and Frigga both raised their hands in warning, but Jane just sat beside Loki and rolled the ball away slowly. Loki fixated on it, grabbed it, and began batting it in the air again. With a grin, Jane took the ball again, and began to play with Loki like one would a cat.

Thor's jaw dropped in awe, "Mother, my Lady Jane had tamed my brother."

"Oh, he's just like the kitten I had growing up!" Jane grinned, scratching Loki's hair between his ears. Loki grumbled at that but she kept the yarn rolling so that he was more focused on that than her petting him.

Steve's voice whispered right behind him, "Remind me to keep more yarn around."

"Noted."

Victor sat beside Jane and she showed him how best to use the yarn. Everyone, taking the new development in stride, went about sifting through their candy, chatting, eating it, and in the meantime 'aww'-ing over Loki. At one point, Victor even managed to get Loki to roll over just to keep his eyes on the yarn, which caused Frigga to burst out laughing, something which she wasn't able to stop for long minutes.

"Do not laugh! They are teasing me…" Loki mumbled, cheeks red, though his attention was lost to them when Jane tossed the ball up in the air again.

Thor sat beside Bucky, "If I had known this was all it took, perhaps we could have spared Midgard so many casualties… If only we had a ball of yarn back then."

Bruce had stepped in by now, and he'd been leaning over Clint and Nat's shoulders, looking through pictures on her phone of what he'd missed, "Told you. His mind is a bag of cats."

"Kittens." Scarlet corrected.

"Kittens indeed." Victor smiled as he carded his fingers through Loki's hair.

 


	27. Serenity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't as long or in depth as it probably should have been for a Christmas chapter - but it's mostly just a set up for the next couple chapters. Sorry!

"Really, you guys?" Steve's voice hinted at a grin, but no one paid him any mind.

"They're not gonna come in, you know." Bruce's chuckle drifted over them.

"Figures. Please don't die of frostbite…"

"We won't." Nat answered, not bothering to turn around.

The wind that seemed to siphon off most of the breathable atmosphere from the balcony of the Avengers tower was brutally cold, bearing thick weaves of snow. And yet three figures stood on the very edge looking over the city with warm eyes. Loki and Bucky stood on either side of Natasha, blocking her from the worst of the wind as she bundled herself tighter in her layers of coats, envying the way her companions wore nothing but shirts and pants to keep warm.

"So," She asked, "How was your first Christmas in years - or ever." She nodded in deference towards Loki.

"Very nice," Loki smiled almost secretly, "I enjoyed being… actively apart of the celebrations."

Bucky nodded, "I missed Christmas mornings, and it's nice to see the Twins get so excited."

"True." Loki sighed, watching his breath trail away in the wind. "They were so elated about their presents, though I have to say I'm worried that you guys didn't stop to think that enhancing their powers merely makes them more destructive."

"We did. That's why Sarah's room was reinforced prior to today."

"Mm." The God nodded. "Natasha, how do you feel about Clint's gift?"

She touched her new necklace, which Clint had made with Tony's help. It had the capabilities of digitally constructing a false image over her features instantaneously - provided that the illusion was preset. All she had to do was prick her finger with the singular charm: an arrow. "I adore it. And yours? Whatever it was..."

Loki cleared his throat with a soft laugh, looking off into the distance. "It has to do with magic, ice, and privacy, that is all I can tell you… but yes, I think I will enjoy it very much so."

Bucky rolled his eyes, "I'm sure you will…" He gently reached up and tugged at his scarf, covered in small teddy bears that had little masks on them so that they resembled him. An arrow whizzed past, leaving behind it a subtle magical trail.

Natasha grinned, "Thanks for helping me make Clint those arrows, by the way."

"It is nothing." Loki watched as the trail flared and moved according to whatever Clint willed it, "He deserved more than what he had initially."

"Victor likes his suit?" Nat asked after a moment.

"Yes, thanks to you and Tony, I needn't worry over him so much… And I believe he rather enjoys the newest flight controls…" He watched as Iron Man and Doom circled in the sky, playing around with flips and dives in the air-born snow.

"I'm glad your mother liked her gifts…" Natasha smiled into the house, where Frigga was enjoying her new Midgardian garbs, which consisted of a t-shirt, jacket, and jeans.

"She is curious as to the culture of the creatures which so captivated her sons…" Loki shrugged, "She would have adored any gift she'd been given with equal verve."

"Your brother and Jane seem very happy." Bucky grinned.

Inside Jane was explaining to Thor the different science puns that were inscribed on little baby clothes, and he was smiling at her fondly, nodding along with joy.

Sam crunched his way up to them from the door, glancing over his shoulder at the scene they were observing, "Yeah, from what I can make of all the science mumbo-jumbo they're speaking, it's adorable. And thanks for the new wings. It'll be nice to test drive them when the weather isn't so...nippy." He glared, "Are you even wearing two layers?"

"I am!" Nat raised one gloved hand proudly above her head.

"Good for you." He smiled, stepping into line beside them, "So, what are we doing?"

"Enjoying the view." Loki replied, eyes trailing Doom.

"Uh-huh." He rolled his eyes, "Well, when you get tired of freezing your asses off, Bruce is actually making himself useful with the special cooking set you gave him. Apparently if he doesn't have to worry about burning himself he can actually prepare edible food."

"Edible?" Bucky asked at the same time Natasha muttered, "Food?"

"Yeah. Also, you may want to rescue Sarah from the endless amounts of pictures Steve has been taking of her in her little elf suit…"

"Dear god… He's traumatizing my baby…" Bucky sighed, shaking his feet loose from the snow.

"Go save her, Winter!" Nat cheered, grinning as she watched her friend stride back into the building, opening the door to take Steve's new camera from him.

Sam sighed, "Not super eventful."

"Doesn't have to be." Nat shrugged. She stopped and looked up at the god to her left, "You okay, Frosty?"

"Hm?" Loki swiped at his face, cheeks glistening, "Mm. Yes. I am alright."

Sam nodded, "Not used to this…"

"Family thing?" Nat nudged the god.

"Yes… Quite."

They stood in the snow, watching the flurries pass and their two friends spiral around and around, avoiding stray arrows. Laughter and squeals came from the soon to be parents inside as Bucky and Steve played with their daughter, and the scent of good things wafted outside. Inside a tree sparkled with ornaments of all shapes and sizes.

On top was Cap's shield, and in the branches below hung Mjolnir, a rifle, a bow, two metal masks, a spear, and a caduceus for the scientists.

It was, all in all, the most peaceful and familial experience any of them had ever had. There wasn't one argument, one disagreement, or even one threat uttered.

Things were coming together for the family.

And Loki felt he could finally take his eyes off the horizon.

As the god moved to walk inside, Nat stopped to turn back to where he'd been looking, only to frown for a moment before the movement of shadows was gone. A trick of the light?

She could only be certain it was - they deserved peace.


	28. Silence

You'd think the pain of loss would follow immediately with rage. Follow with shouts, yells, screams, running, searching -

But no.

It was followed with silence.

Winter couldn't tell what caused it. Was it was the loss itself, the sight of the empty crib, the hollow that had just been torn into his heart, or the sign left painted on the window?

But Barnes said nothing.

And Winter was silent.

Loki was silent.

Steve. Nat. Clint. Thor. Jane.

Etc. etc.

Silence.

Loki touched the bloody window for long moments as the fresh mark dripped down his fingertips, eyes cast towards the horizon he had ceased to watch.

And then, as if on command, he shattered the glass.

"We find Thanos, we find her."

The broken pieces of an ancient sigil for death were strewn across the room, and they were left there, and would stay there until Sarah was returned to her home.

* * *

"Are we in accord?" Loki asked softly from his curled up position on the ground of their meeting room, knees tucked under him, almost penitent.

There were nods, and Winter inclined his head.

Ears ringing in the noiselessness, he had felt in the past hour like he'd been falling further and further down the abyss of Loki's softened voice whispering all he knew about Thanos and his men - and where Sarah might be.

* * *

The city grew still as it sensed the illness emanating from the Avengers tower - how cold they'd become while they hunted  _something_  - and it became quiet as the grave when they noticed the absence of the baby.

The citizens offered what information they could when asked, and often times the heroes found themselves in possession of many food items meant to make them perk up and feel good about their hunt - but a week dragged on.

Two weeks.

Three.

Had this been the hollowness of Winter so many poets spoke of?

Yes.

He had one mission, and only one. Past that nothing else existed.

* * *

In the fourth week they found them, hiding.

The location was in an underground complex that appeared to be left behind by Hydra only recently. The dank cavern-like walls pressed in, webs spun unnoticed from every crevice as the creatures of the shadows began to reclaim their territory, and Winter slipped in with his team behind him.

They fell in upon any creature that stood in their way with quiet precision. Tony's music didn't make an appearance, and his only warning was the high-pitched whine before he took a shot. Even mighty Thor swung Mjolnir with an air of restraint and Loki couldn't remember a time when the Thunder had been only a whisper as it struck their enemies.

When they grew close, the silence shattered.

And there was only  _him._

The Mad Titan.

Just like that, the ringing disappeared, and the anger burst forth.

* * *

**Barnes.**

_Winter._

**You're late.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so short, but I did intend it to be that way. I will try to update as soon as possible because I've done a bad thing and let Thanos have Sarah and I'm sorry - I am! But it has a purpose! Please - sorry, again - just bear with me.


	29. Bending

Winter felt the chill in his veins now that his heart was aflame once more. There was fire and ice dancing inside of him and he couldn't stop it; this titan had endangered his child, and for what?

Simple Madness.

The beastly creature had appeared just as they'd begun to lock onto a sound similar to Sarah's cries. Winter had the distinct feeling that the purpose was distraction, but it didn't matter because this meant he had a solid, present target for the turmoil inside of him. He walked up to Thanos like he'd done to all his targets before: he just walked over casually, pulling his left arm back, readying himself.

Thanos grinned, having said nothing but waiting to show the mortal just how weak he was, how futile his effort to rescue his child were when faced with the wrath of an immortal such as he -

Yet he didn't even know what hit him.

The titan staggered, eyes wide when he actually felt the blow of the metal arm. Looking up, Winter could see something swirling behind the madness in his gaze. "What  _are_  you?" Thanos ground out with anger and confusion.

"I'm someone you don't want to mess with."

"Are you a God? A Titan?"

_Sure. Why not?_

**Hell yeah. I might as well be.**

"You can bet your ass I'm ten times worse than any Titan you've met. Give. Me. My. Child."

"What. Are. You?" Thanos growled.

Nat's voice picked up, "The embodiment of Death."

Winter turned to her, giving her a look that said, 'What the actual hell, Nat?"

"Yeah. He's even got a scythe and all." She waved to encompass him, nodding confidently. When he mouthed 'what?' She shrugged.

"You...are death?" Now there was something very  _very_  different in those crazed eyes that made Winter's stomach churn.

"Yes."

"May I kiss you?"

"What?" Winter recoiled, "No- What? What is wrong with you!?" He shoved at the now advancing titan, "What the hell!?" The worst part of the entire encounter was that the titan seemed to have forgotten entirely why he was there and what was going on. He just fixated completely upon Winter.

The titan stumbled back as if struck across the face again, "Do you not know my love for you? All the sacrifices to your glory? Do you not remember our time together…? Those were the best years of my wretched life..."

"Uh… No. I'm sorry. Connection must have faltered between universes or something, you know… Science stuff - I have amnesia or something - Hey! Personal space!" He shoved the titan back again.

This time, Thanos's rage returned, "YOU HAVE NOT NOTICED ALL I'VE DONE FOR YOU?"

"Uh… No…" Winter twitched in pain, Thanos's voice breaching a sound barrier Thor's never would.

"THEN FINE. HAVE YOUR CHILD. HAVE YOUR FILTHY LIFE. I  _WILL_  DESTROY YOU." He raged and turned, "YOU WAIT. I SHALL COME FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND TEAR YOUR WORLD DOWN TO SLIVERS AND ASHES." His form disappeared and they all just waited, watching the air with bated breath.

"What." Winter gave his companions a strange look, "The Actual Fuck."

"Sorry…" Nat shrugged, "I just thought, you know, 'what makes a titan scared?' So I guessed that death might be something to fear because they never experience it and might never want to… I didn't know he'd go berserk."

Loki sighed, "Natasha, The Mad Titan is called such because he is enamored with Death. You just 'tagged' Winter with the most insane and insistent stalker in all of time or space."

"Well…" Tony shrugged. "We're the Avengers. Nothing we can't handle."

Loki huffed as if the thought amused him, "We must hurry, Sarah may still be in danger."

They split up, searching, only to hear Loki's strangled cry echo through the catacombs moments later. Running to find him, Steve succeeded first, then Bucky.

The scene was strange. There was blood everywhere from Sarah's captors, bodies strewn across the floor, while Loki knelt in the pool of viscous red, careless for once of his clothes. He held a bundle to his chest, magic surrounding them in uncontrolled waves, while his shoulders rose and fell in sobs. A soft whimpering echoed through the room from his arms.

Steve frowned, and Winter felt ice overtake the rest.

If Sarah was whimpering - she was alive.

Right?

Steve stumbled forward, peaked over Loki's shoulder, and fell to his knees, the blood actually splashing around him. He could say nothing.

Bucky, terrified, let Winter take the reigns more completely than ever before. One foot in front of the next-

-and ice reclaimed him.

He knelt slowly, his flesh hand reaching out to touch the dangling mess of what had once been Sarah's right arm. His throat constricted.

Loki's magic was stemming the blood flow, keeping her together, his own blood trailing from his nose as magical overstrain took him. He rasped, "I will make Thanos long for something as sweet as pain…" His eyes seemed lost, staring at the red pooling around him on the floor, madness seeping into his gaze, turning him back into the maniacal creature Steve had met in Germany.

"Loki." Winter took his shoulder, "You can't hold this spell you're casting much longer. Where do we take her to get her better."

It was an order. Not a question.

"Asgard." His eyes began to refocus at Winter's words, even as darkness visibly crept into the hollows under his eyes. "Quick."

Thor, who had been standing in the doorway, commanded them out, and through ringing ears Winter registered that Heimdall would take them where they needed to be.

"Odin… might refuse…" Loki wheezed as the startled Avengers helped him stumble his way to the surface.

Steve spoke up finally, "If he refuses, I will kill the one-eyed bastard."

"Not…" Loki's crazed laugh reappeared for the first time since he'd met Victor, "So easy…"

"But it'll be damn good practice for Thanos…" Winter muttered.

"It'll be fun." Loki's smile was demented, especially with blood starting to seep from his eyes and mix with his tears.

"Okay…" Natasha's features were pale as she helped Loki hold Sarah, walking backwards carefully as they moved along, "Loki, we're losing you, stay with us. Focus on Sarah. First her," Her voice was breaking and tears were slipping from her eyes, "Please make her your first priority."

Loki refocused, nodding, "Always."

Heimdall's bifrost came down before they could even call him.

The gatekeeper's arms were around Loki and Sarah instantaneously, startling Natasha from her position but necessary to assist Loki to the horses, being faster than the others were at the moment, and the ride was a blur to everyone involved. The wonders of Asgard meant nothing if their child didn't live to see it.

Frigga was nowhere to be found until they reached the throne room, where she was being held back by reluctant guards. She screamed when she finally saw Sarah and Loki, trying to get past her unlikely captors to reach the child.

"Frigga. Wait." An ancient voice filled the hall, "You know why Loki is so weakened by this task, I won't have you die to save the child as well-"

"Please, let me try." She struggled, giving a frustrated cry as she scrambled at the armor of her guards for some purchase, but they held her arms back. When Loki fell to his knees, the blow dealt by gravity only minimally softened as Winter and Steve lunged to hold him up, she screeched, " _Let me try!"_

"What is going on." Winter ordered. He wouldn't take this shit, not when his child was wounded like this.

"I am truly sorry for your loss, I am." Odin stood, eye downcast towards them, "You have done much for Asgard, but this we cannot do for you. Thanos's men have burned an infinity stone into your daughter's soul for safe keeping, one which we cannot remove from her without her death. And, unfortunately, to heal her in this state is to die yourself." His brow was furrowed, and Winter looked at the would-be king of Gods. He was old. Tired. Confused. And most importantly - scared.

He knew exactly why he shouldn't refuse them help, and yet he did it.

The only reason could be that he knew assistance was futile.

The God's eye fell to the floor in a way that spoke of his feelings of inadequacy, his failure, "Your child is lost. Loki knew this, and yet he fights to keep her alive with his very life force being torn from him to power the stone residing within your daughter." His voice broke, "Loki. My son. I know I have wronged you in the past, I know you seek to redeem yourself, but this is not the way. Your death will amount to nothing but a couple more minutes for this mortal child to live."

Loki's sanity seemed to be on the brink of something terrible, but he managed to sneer, his breathing so ragged it tore into his speech pattern so that after a few syllables his words would falter on rasping inhales, "Then the world will be all the better for a few minutes more, you  _coward_. She is only a child, and yet you stand there, not even letting us t-try." He coughed, a fine mist of blood painting his lips, "To help." He took in a rattling breath, worse than the rest as his tears became more concentrated with blood, "You are more a fool than- than I would have…" He took another breath, his bloody tears falling into his mouth, the taste obviously unpleasant as he twitched the minute his tongue darted out to lick it from his lips, "Imagined."

"Father, please!" Thor's voice finally seemed to belong somewhere as it consumed this great hall. "Anything."

Odin's eye shone.

And he descended to stand in front of his dying son.

His scepter tilted, resting over the child's wound, "If I do this, the stone will most likely stay inside her - gaining power - till she dies."

They all nodded, though Loki was probably the only one who knew what that meant.

"You understand that this girl will be a living infinity stone, her life force sought out by the worst sort of creatures imaginable. Her existence will be hell."

"But at least she will live." Steve met Odin's eyes as he knelt by Loki, arm around his shoulders. "If this were Thor or Loki, if you were in our place, wouldn't you give them life?"

Before Odin could answer, Loki snickered, "The answer is yes. He gave me a life of hell, but figured it was better than being left alone to die. Or are you regretting doing so," he took special care to breathe for all the sarcasm he threw into his next word, " _Father?"_

At that, Odin drew himself up. "I regret nothing. Especially not my being your father." And the scepter's tip touched Sarah's arm, the wound sealing, causing golden lights to flicker through her veins, illuminating the patches of Calico skin over her body. Now no longer weakened, her lungs filled up with air, and she let out a tortured wail.

It was the most beautiful sound Winter had ever heard, and he hastily took the child when Loki offered her to him. "I'm here, shh… It's okay, I'm here."

Sarah twisted, trying to find a spot through the heavy kevlar material to hear his arm. Without a care, Winter tore it off, letting her rest against the cool metal plating, the gears whining inside. Sarah calmed, hiccuping, the stub of her arm moving randomly in pained flails. He knew what that was like - the ghost arm that could do nothing but burn like fire.

"I'm here. I'm with you, Sarah, moy malen'kiy soldat… you've done so well…"

Odin cleared his throat, seeming to waiver on his feet, "It is unwise, as of yet, for you to return to Midgard… for now…" He sunk to his knees, his stance a parallel of Loki's, "Stay here…"

"Odinsleep?" Loki huffed in laughter through his sweat drenched hair that had fallen like a curtain into his eyes. "How nice for you…"

"Guards…" The elder god collapsed and Loki's laughter became hysterical, with small interludes of coughing and wheezing. Frigga was freed and Odin was carried off to wherever he needed to after she gave her husband and son a cursory check. Loki refusing to leave just yet, so she turned her attention to Sarah.

"Odin healed her fully, save the arm and the infinity stone…" She shook her head when she was finished, "Thanos has made a grave error. There will be no place I will not find him-"

"'There will be no crevice, no barren moon, where we will not find him...'" Loki's laughter bordered each word, this time more down to earth, which made the spoken quote all the more eerie for it.

"Loki..." Victor knelt and pulled his husband into his arms, "What, exactly, was your relationship to Thanos and his war...?" The question had likely been eating away at the poor man since they first saw how Loki reacted to the sigil painted on Sarah's window.

"Slave. Puppet. Plaything." Loki's laugh began to break in sobs and his eyes looked down at his own bloody clothes and seemed to lose themselves in exhausted hallucinations of half memories.

"Loki..." Frigga reached for him, but the sudden movement from his side vision, blurred with blood and horrific past flashing before his eyes, caused him to let out a terrified screech that startled everyone enough for them to back away. Sarah reciprocated the noise.

The ailing God pulled at his own hair, voice ragged as he screamed in multiple languages as if too confused to stick to one. Bucky caught enough words in various tongues to know more than he ever wanted to about some of the things Thanos and his closest assistants liked to do for fun to their slaves.

The worst was when Loki begged someone they couldn't see - as he was dragged, stumbling and shaking from the room - to kill the babies, to spare them the torture, to let them die as their races had before them.

Winter was violently shivering. He'd never felt the cold  _hurt_  him so, even as he clutched his precious child to his chest. When Natasha set a hand on his cheek, eyes worried, he realized he'd been rocking slowly, holding Sarah close, whispering for her to be quiet and telling her that everything was okay - in Russian - as he listened to Loki's fading ramblings.

All he needed was to share one look with Natasha's brimming eyes to know that she, too, had translated far more of those broken sobs than she wanted.

"Holy shit..." Tony muttered when the throne room fell silent.

"Stiff drink?" Clint croaked.

"Mmm. Yeah. Thor. Mead or whatever you have here. Now."

Thor made a motion and guards filtered from the shadows to lead them away, but he himself stepped forward, voice hushed, "Your babe should never have entered into the mess of our world. For these atrocities that have befallen her, I apologize, though I know my words mean little."

"She's apart of it though..." Steve brushed fingers through her bloodstained hair. "It's who she is... I only wish we were strong enough to protect her."

"We will be." Nat nodded, hand on Winter's shoulder, looking into his eyes. "There was a time, in a red room, where you told me humans rise to the challenge to survive. You told me that to be worthy of life we needed to gain the strength to fight the next challenge. I'll be damned if my life,  _our_ life, didn't set us up to fight these monsters for our child. And Sarah  _is_  our child. Every single one of us had a part to play in bringing her into this world and I won't let some sick, death-infatuated titan lay one more finger on her."

Winter receded, and Bucky gave a nod and a half smile. It was all the reply that was needed.

If the Avengers couldn't protect their baby, then there was no safe place in any universe for a child to live.

And none of them wanted to exist in that desolate cosmos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, again, for all of this! But don't worry, I promise Sarah will be okay! (Also, sorry for the short chapters)


	30. Mending

It had been weeks since Winter had iced over, and now that he had Sarah back in his arms he couldn't stop shaking, tears unstoppable as they moved down his cheeks, his entire being in an uproar.

**Is this how calving glaciers feel…?**

_It must be…_

"Shh… It's okay Buck, it's okay. She's here with us, she's here."

For these long days since their daughter was stolen from them, there had been little solace in each others arms, simply because when one slept the other was awake, working to find Thanos and Sarah. Now they both sat up against an ornate headboard in Asgard: Winter with his little girl whimpering against his chest as she sensed his pain, and Steve with his arms wrapped around both, attempting to cocoon them somehow in his warmth. Steve hushed them, every so often breaking into a low, soft song that eased their pain.

Bucky wished that his friends were there to help, they always seemed to know what to do, but as Odin fought his oh so brilliantly named Odinsleep, he insisted that as many of the mortals be sent home as possible. The only ones left were Loki's family, Thor and Jane, and Bucky's own small family. Frigga gave them this extravagant guest room by way of an apology, but currently the most pressing matter was to get Loki back on his feet, and so Steve and Bucky were left to cradle their baby girl helplessly.

"I- I was so afraid-"

"I know, Buck, I know-"

"Her arm- Oh god…"

"Shh, we'll find out what to do. Loki, Frigga, Thor… They'll figure something out. Buck, I've never seen you like this…" Steve kissed his partners head, gently rubbing one hand up his right arm and the other wrapping around the metal fingers and steadying him as he shook in loud sobs, helping him hold their child.

"I couldn't help her-"

"You did, you saved her-"

"How can I protect her from those things?" His flesh arm reached out and gently brushed back Sarah's hair from her red face, puffed up with tears. "I can't even stop myself from crying when it's upsetting her."

"It's not your fault, Bucky…"

"Steve- I- If he gets her again I don't know what I'll do."

"I do."

"What?" Bucky looked up at him with the most broken and trusting expression, as if he had all the answers. As Captain America, he was used to people looking up to him, but the way Bucky did in that moment shattered his heart so terribly that he had to swallow the shards that subsequently formed a lump in his throat, though he knew his eyes must have shone with unshed tears.

"You'll hunt him down and kill him. You'll bring our daughter back home to me. And we'll raise her in the world we've made safe. And she'll never have to worry about a damn thing ever getting near her again."

Bucky began sobbing again, so Steve clutched him closer, silent tears tracking into the tawny hair which cushioned his cheek.

* * *

"Are you well?" Frigga asked, padding into their room the next morning with a tray of food. Bucky hadn't let go of Sarah once the entire night, still holding her to his chest, while Steve nuzzled his shoulder.

Even though their state of parental breakdown was likely clear as day, Bucky spoke up, "Better." He eyed the food then looked back to Sarah, trying to figure out how to continue holding his baby while eating.

Frigga smiled and shared a look with Steve, probably some maternal thing, before nodding and wishing them well as she whisked out of the door. Steve sat Bucky down on a small couch, gathering the tray of food and placing it on his lap. He picked up the spoon, dipping it in the warm soup and blowing on it to cool the steaming broth down. Then he softly gripped the back of Bucky's neck, steadying him before lifting the soup to his mouth and feeding it to him. Bucky's eyes sparked and Steve grinned, proceeding to continue hand-feeding him. They locked eyes as they did so, feeling as if they'd been separated far too long, when Sarah wailed.

They startled from their reverie and Steve cleared his throat, "I, uh… Think she needs to be fed too."

"Yeah…" Bucky seemed a little disappointed, but when Steve returned with Sarah's breakfast, he focused on his newest task, happy to help his daughter.

Steve smiled lovingly at the pair, gently running his hand up and down Bucky's spine in a comforting manner while he observed. "You want to know something embarrassing, Buck?"

Bucky looked at him through narrowed eyes, uncertain, "You did something embarrassing that I don't already know about?"

"I didn't do it, I just… thought it."

"Mmm, and you didn't tell me." Bucky mimed pouting angrily.

"No, but I am now…" Before he could change his mind, he cleared his throat, "I, uh, I used to think about this. Before we went to the army, when we shared a flat… Um. A family. I liked to imagine us…" He looked away, red to the tips of his ears, "This way. That's why I worked so hard on cooking, cleaning- uh-" He bit his lip, the next part coming out in a rush, "It made me happy to imagine being your housewife…"

Bucky was silent, but even so, when Steve looked over, he was surprised to see the slack-jawed expression painted across his friend's face. "So you mean… I thought you were just doing that to be useful, I-"

"Well, that too, but…" Steve moved his hands to rest on his legs in fists as he fought back his shame, "There were these times I liked how small I was, and that you took care of me. The way you would rub my chest, and the way you held me like your gal…" He swallowed a couple times before he could continue, "I would imagine, sometimes when you were out late and I was cooking you dinner, that you would come home and… and wrap your arms around me... kiss me, um…" He cleared his throat again, but all that came out was a whisper, "When you left for the army it broke everything inside of me, to know you wouldn't be coming home to me that night."

Bucky stood up quietly and walked away. Heart beginning to race, Steve had to wonder if he hadn't done something terribly wrong. Bucky returned empty handed. "Put her to bed." He said, an odd look in his eyes. "Get up."

"Uh, okay?" Steve stood, blushing when he noticed once more that Bucky had gained some height on him since he'd become the Winter Soldier. "What-"

Bucky spun him around, pulling Steve's back to his chest, planting a kiss on his neck before whispering, "Is this how you imagined me holding you? Kissing you?"

Steve shivered, suddenly coming alive for the first time in what felt like years, "Yes…"

"I imagined doing this every damned day when I came home to see you in that adorable apron you insisted on wearing," Another kiss, "I wanted to pull you into my arms every  _single_  day, knowing that if I could I would be the happiest man in the world… I wanted to make you grin," Another kiss at the base of his hairline, "I wanted to make you laugh," He purposely licked a spot of skin under his jawline, making Steve giggle, much to the super-soldier's shock that Bucky knew where he was most ticklish, "Most importantly, I wanted to make you mine." He bit into the juncture between Steve's neck and shoulder and earned a groan. When he was finished, there were deep indents that likely wouldn't last over an hour, "I wanted you to be happy, but every time I saw another girl near you I about died."

"Wait," Steve shifted to glare up at Bucky from the corner of his eye, "Is that why you were always trying to steal my dates?"

"Trying?" Bucky snorted. "I was too smooth to have to  _try_. Though that Peggy girl pissed me off to no end, I'll have you know. When she chose you I knew that- I knew I was…" He shook his head, "You put her picture in your compass and…" Unconsciously tightening his arms painfully around Steve, Bucky seemed to be clinging to him as if the danger to his happiness were standing right in front of them in their Asgardian room, instead of lying docilely in a hospital bed on Earth.

"James Buchanan Barnes…" Steve chuckled, "You were jealous?"

"Fuck yeah, I was jealous!" His arms pulled him impossibly closer, "I could almost see her touching you and you touching her and it set my teeth on edge. I wanted you to be happy, and I figured she'd be the only dame who'd go for you instead of the whole Captain America crap, so it was your best shot at true happiness, but I couldn't resist trying to stop her…"

"Buck- That's...nice. But your...arm."

"Hm? Oh!" He released his metal arm from around Steve's ribs, from which a soft crunching sound had been starting to emanate, "Sorry…"

Steve took advantage of his new freedom to spin around deftly in Bucky's arms, threading his hands in the long, dark hair at the base of his partner's scalp. He whispered, "Did you ever think about dancing with me when you were with other girls?"

"Daily." Bucky growled. "Every time I was on the dance floor I was looking back at you… imagining it was you I was holding."

"That's why you were always looking at me? I thought it was because you were worried because my partners never wanted to dance with a guy who was shorter than them…" Steve blushed further and looked down at Bucky's chest.

In response, Bucky gripped Steve's chin and pulled it up to meet his eyes, "I may have my memories all screwed up, but the three days it took to teach you to dance were definitely among my favorites, they're much clearer than all the others… but they were also the most torturous."

"Tortu- Why?"

"It took everything inside me not to devour that sweet little mouth of yours when you'd look up at me like I was your world…" He cleared his throat when Steve's eyelids lowered and he licked his lips, "Or kiss your nose whenever you'd frown all confused and such, and you'd look at your feet in concentration…" Bucky's thumb trailed over Steve's lips and his voice burned raw, "Or simply pull you into my arms and take you to the bedroom when you would trip into me or need to rest because of your asthma, and you'd lay your cheek against my heart as if it were the only thing that centered you…"

"It was, Bucky…" Steve blinked back tears, "How I wished for all those same things… How stupid we were… Though if you'd kissed me I probably would have lost it and begged you for more than I could take-"

"And I would have given you more." He took one of Steve's hands from his hair and rested it over your heart, "I had already given you my everything, and if you wanted more I'll be damned if I wouldn't have found a way to give it to you…"

"James…" There was a familiar darkness that set into each of their eyes at that word and Bucky responded by moving Steve's back against a wall, about to kiss him, when the door opened. Bucky turned to glare at the intruder, only to find Victor smirking.

"I'm guessing that all is well?"

Moving to hide Steve even though he was fully clothed, Bucky growled, "Yeah. Is this important?"

Victor snorted, "Well, in a way, yes. Loki's finally awakened enough to start ordering people around and gathering materials to find out exactly what to do about the stone in your daughter's blood."

Forgetting their previous engagement immediately, the two men moved forward, at the same time asking, "What can we do?"

"Read." Victor lifted two tomes they hadn't noticed he'd been holding, "You're going to read and see if anything about infinity stones are in here. Have fun."

Bucky eyed the books, "It's like high school all over again."

"I think your memory is still a little fuzzy," Steve teased, taking the books from Victor with a nod of thanks, "I was the one who read all the books. You sat back and listened to me summarize."

"But you did it so well." Bucky pouted innocently, like a puppy accused of something it didn't do.

"Shut up. That's the kind of face that got me to read the damned things for you in the first place, and I won't accept that responsibility now." He sat on the couch and pulled Bucky down to sit down next to him, plopping a book on his lap, "Read."

"..." Bucky looked back at Victor, who was smiling at the entire exchange, "You're sure there's nothing I need to go hunt or beat up instead?"

"One-hundred percent."

"Uggggh!" Bucky let out a whine and opened the book to cover his face. Voice muffled, he cried, "Why this!?"

Steve rolled his eyes and shrugged at Victor, "I enabled him and made him this way, it's not like I can complain."

Victor chuckled, "I'll come back with more later."

"MORE?!" Bucky straightened, book falling from his face to his lap, revealing a horror-stricken expression, "Dear God… Wait, is this in Russian? No, this is- How do I read something older than Russian?!"

"It's called translating, Buck. It's what I did for you when you took Spanish."

"So that wasn't all in English?" He actually frowned.

"No, Bucky…" Steve rested his forehead into his palm. "No it wasn't."

"Is that why those tests had-"

"A different language on them. Yes. 'Cause it was a Foreign Language class."

"Oh…" Bucky looked down at his hands as he went through his memories, "That makes sense."

Steve kissed the side of Bucky's head, "Just start reading, love."

Bucky grumbled and began to read, mumbling, "Fuckin' Shakespearian Russian shit… Better have my daughter's cure in here."

"Shh, speaking isn't reading."

"You spoke-"

"After I read. Do you need me to take away cuddle privileges?"

"...No…" Bucky sighed, curling up into Steve to read.

* * *

"Bucky…" Steve smiled down at his fiance and their child.

"Mmmm." Bucky moaned from the floor, face first in a pile of books while his daughter lay on her tummy, a small pink ironman blanket keeping her from touching the cold floor. Both lay in similar positions, and Scarlet snapped a photo.

"This is going to Aunt Nat." She grinned when her subject made an angry sound.

"Don't worry." They startled when they heard Nat's voice, "I got it!" She smiled, holding her phone up proudly.

Bucky moved his head to peek up at her, "What are you guys doing here?"

Tony stepped up behind Natasha, a locked case in his hand, "I have a present for Sarah."

Frowning, Steve got up and opened the case warily. His eyes softened at what lay inside, speaking softly, "This is perfect."

* * *

After long months of therapy and researching, the adults had gotten nowhere, but Sarah had gotten everywhere. She crawled, she climbed, she snuck, she laughed - she went any which way her heart desired, which unnerved her parents greatly.

But in this moment her movement was part of an exciting milestone in her life rather than a worrisome habit of extended exploration.

Steve grinned, "Go on, Sarah. You can do it, go to daddy!"

Steve let go and she smiled, and stumbled away from him a bit, falling. She picked herself back up, and took her first steps towards her father.

Bucky reached out with his arms, and she reached out with hers.

She stumble-walked into his embrace, flesh hand connecting with flesh, metal hand with metal.

Her small animatronic arm was a flawless replica of her father's, down to the small pink star on her shoulder. It had a built in chip for 'Ja-bi' so she always had someone to keep an eye on her vitals in case the infinity stone decided to act up, but so far JARVIS mostly used it to explain to her about the things she saw, helping her learn quickly.

Bucky grinned as he swung his little girl up in his arms and she laughed, "You did it! You walked all by yourself!" He nuzzled his nose against hers, "I'm so very proud of you, Sarah."

"Sir, you do realize she's only going to be  _that_  much more mobile after this, yes?"

"Jabi keeps me safe!" She spoke clearly with a smile. Her speech had developed quickly under the sharp minds of her caretakers, far beyond the others of her age.

"Yes, I will, little snow creature." JARVIS replied, the gentle fondness that showed up, even when it wasn't programed into him in the first place, laced his words.

Bucky kissed his daughter's head, "Moy malen'kiy soldat, you need to keep yourself safe too."

Steve strode over, wrapping his arms around his family, "Good job, Sarah."

"Thank you, Mommy!"

Natasha was on the steps to the palace's garden, taking pictures of the scene in the stunning light of Asgard, "That was beautiful."

Jane laughed joyfully, hand on her distended stomach, "We have to put that on your twitter the minute we get back."

"Of course we are. You know, Tony has been working on a way to get an internet connection through the bifrost so I can send these pictures immediately, but, between you and me, I think it's going to take more than his estimated month of work."

"Anthony Stark  _is_  rather brilliant," Loki chided, practically flowing down the steps into the courtyard, "I would not insult him, lest he finish the product in a mere week to work on something detrimental to you in some manner. Hello, Sarah. I see your first steps have treated you nearly well. Your knees are scraped."

Sarah looked to her reddened knees and waved her flesh hand over it in a certain way.

Loki clucked his tongue, "Not like that darling, you have to move much more slowly, you must learn the form before you can use your magic." Bucky held his daughter so that Loki could show Sarah the particular motion that meant nothing to him, but apparently made sense to those who wielded magic. When Sarah got the movement right, Loki performed the spell, healing her instantly. "See? It's all in the timing." He smiled at her.

"Thank you for helping, Wobi!"

His smile fell, "How many times- I am Loki.  _Lo. Ki._ "

"She's not going to do it, Kiki," Bucky sighed, smiling at his child fondly, "She's as stubborn as I am."

"I hope not." Steve groaned, "What on earth would I do?"

"Deal with it." Bucky grinned mischievously, causing Loki to roll his eyes.

"Norns be good, do not encourage my young apprentice to be stubborn. It's bad for her mind."

"Good for her heart." Sarah's father replied quickly, swinging her down to the ground, "You want to walk to Aunty Kiki?"

"Aunty Kiki!" She grinned, reaching for the tall god.

Loki had tried as much as possible to avoid looking weak or soft in front of the Asgardians after he had returned, but his facade of carelessness slipped whenever the girl with the metal arm was around. He tried to look as aloof and princely as possible, even as he knelt down, reaching out to her, "Alright, little mortal. Walk to me if you will."

Sarah stumbled from the safety of Bucky's arms to her teacher's, but she surprised him by jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck, "I love you, Wobi!" She kissed his cheek and his expression of neutrality crumbled into a loving smile.

"I love you too, little Calico." He hugged her.

Loki had been bedridden up until a month ago, sick after having treated Sarah while the stone tore unchecked at his very life force through her power of absorbing others' energies. The girl would often ask for him, somehow aware that his illness had been caused by her, and would reach to hug him. Many days when Loki was too weary read, he would hold the growing girl in his arms, comforting her from the pain her new animatronic arm gave her. They often spent days together looking through ancient texts when her parents were too busy researching what lurked within her blood. The two grew close, and Loki began to treat Sarah as another child of his, while she began to treat him as a third parent.

He held her close as he stood, looking down at Steve and Bucky, "I have good news. We may have found a way to remove the stone from her blood."

"Really?" Everyone shouted, save JARVIS and Sarah.

Loki rolled his eyes, which stood out in his paler-than-usual features, "No, I just decided to get your hopes up because I felt like having a little fun. Of  _course_ , really."

"How did you do it?" Steve asked.

"I figured out what stone lay within her. From there it was simply a matter of researching a few particulars."

"And this stone is…?" Odin asked, having overheard the conversation as he passed by.

Loki smirked in a way he only ever did with Odin. It was full of condescension, centuries of pain, and brimming with hatred, "The Ego stone. Thank you for the disbelief you so graciously bestow upon any word you speak in my direction. It's truly awe-inspiring the way you still do not trust me."

Sarah frowned at Odin, having picked up that Loki was greatly upset anytime the old man made his presence known. "One-eyed pudgy Santa," she grumbled.

Loki's eyebrows shot up and he turned to look at the girl clinging to his neck, "I think I'll keep you."

Odin sighed heavily, "Do not teach innocents to slander a king, Loki."

"Oh, I didn't teach her that," He furrowed his brow, "Who did, though?"

"Who need teach a child? They simply state what they observe." Frigga slipped into the courtyard with a smile, "As far as I am aware, Odin dearest, you have one eye. You look akin to the Midgardian Santa thanks to your beard, and you  _have_  gained a bit of stress weight-"

"My love, I do not stress. Merely am worried, for the well being of an extremely rude little mortal and my son-"

"I'm not your son." Loki corrected.

Frigga rolled her eyes, "Yet I am your mother and Thor is your brother. Why not Odin your father?"

"Because I doubt he ever truly saw me as his son." Loki shrugged.

There was uncomfortable staring contest between Loki and Odin before Sarah patted Loki's cheek, "Odin bigger man in width, but you're the bigger man in here!" she poked his chest.

Loki rolled his eyes, "You are overly sentimental child, but you are correct in what you wish me to do." He turned away and huffed, "Just don't call me your son in front of others." He gave the girl to her parents and stomped off, saying over his shoulders, "I'll prepare the spell for the infinity stone extraction, if you'll excuse me."

Sarah looked from Loki's receding figure to the floored look on everyone's faces.

Jane gaped at Sarah, "Are you Jesus? I think she might be Jesus. She just said the dumbest thing and made Loki accept Odin as his dad. What the hell?"

"No seriously." Bucky held Sarah out at arms' length, "Did you use psychic powers or something? He was so calm-"

Steve's eye twitched, "God help us if she has psychic powers."

Odin muttered, "The girl can stay as long as she likes…"

Frigga rolled her eyes, "My goodness, you people… I don't even know where to begin on how ridiculous you all sound."

"When do these mortals not sound ridiculous, my darling? They've even rubbed off on my sons…" Odin sighed, pressing a palm to his good eye. "I worry for the sake of the nine realms."

"You don't have to!" Natasha grinned, hopping on scene to take Sarah from Bucky, holding the child close to her, "This girl will make everything alright!"

"I doubt that, Aunty Nat…" Sarah smiled in gentle disbelief.

"I do not, littlest ice creature." JARVIS cut in, "I believe you will grow up to achieve great things, like Mr. Stark-"

Tony walked in, "So I guess now isn't the time to tell her about the fact I just blew up the lab with a miniature bifrost-esque explosion."

"No, sir." Jarvis sighed from Sarah's arm. "Though to be honest, it is sadly one of your less destructive ill-timed moments."

Frigga gave a motherly sigh, but glad that the broken fragments of their extended family were finally melding together once more.

 


	31. Shadows

Bucky had known the night before what he would be subjected to that morning, and as he woke he sensed his impending doom-

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

"Steve… The child thing…"

"Uh huh…" Came the muffled reply.

"It needs to stop. I'm technically a senior- GAH." He bolted up, brushing his shoulder where a ball of heat had struck him.

JARVIS's voice echoed softly, "I apologize, sir. But I might as well warn you - Sarah's magical lights have become rather… powerful."

"You think?" He pinched the soft silk that had been burned, cringing when he saw the dark singe, "Loki said it wouldn't get dangerous…"

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Sarah frowned at her handiwork, confused.

"Nothing, just…" He reached over the side of the bed to haul his child up to sit by him, "You've got to be careful with those."

"Oh… Sorry. The light was s'pposed to wake you." She muttered, kicking her teensy legs sadly.

Steve made his way up towards a sitting position, groaning as wakefulness threw it's heavy veil over his shoulders. "Mmmm. Don't worry, little star. We'll just let Loki know and he'll help you." He peaked out the Avengers tower window and, as if some answer lay there, his eyes brightened, "Oh, it's a very special day for you!"

"Yeah! I am one and a half years!"

"You are one and a half years  _old_." Steve corrected.

"I am one and a half year old." She repeated.

He ruffled her hair, "That's my girl."

She reached up, "Hold!"

"Of course." Steve made a big deal of gathering her up into his arms, as if he had to use all his strength, making her giggle.

"You spoil her, Stevie."

"Can't help it." He kissed her cheek, "She's my best gal!"

"Hey…" Bucky pulled his best pouting face, "What about me?"

"You're his best heart!" Sarah replied, having heard Steve call him his heart enough times to consider the statement fact.

"That he is." Steve leaned over to kiss Bucky swiftly before getting up to move to the living room, "Now, let's go wake Uncle Kiki with that new magic of yours…"

Bucky shrugged the sleep from his muscles and joints, smiling as he listened carefully. There was a soft 'whoosh,' a yelp, and then cursing. Ah, the music of the Avenger's tower. It was good to be home.

* * *

Bucky and Clint sat at a large table on one of the patios outside Steve's level, the sun lighting their work. Strewn on the surface of the frosted glass were a myriad of bits and parts that, when assembled, would compact into deadly arrows for Clint's quiver. Ever since Bucky had befriended the Archer, they would spend Sunday mornings restocking the Avenger's weaponry, which depleted almost weekly. On particularly sunny days like the present, they would sit outside and work, most of the time in a mutually comfortable silence. It was what they did while everyone else attended church or whatever other holy service they held. Natasha roamed by every now and then, but most of the time it was her morning to meditate - alone - on her past and come to terms with it.

Bucky was constructing a particularly complicated poison arrow and pondering what she was thinking about currently when Victor stepped outside. "Mm? Not with the missus?" Clint asked, peering over his shoulder.

"No, we do not hold similar faiths. Well. We are aware they exist, but worship different existing gods."

Frowning, Bucky attached the head to the arrow, "You don't praise that evil god still, do you? The one that made you sacrifice your first girlfriend?"

"She wasn't my girlfriend."

"Oh right, she was your wife. Didn't you make her into armor or something?" Clint picked up a small capsule and carefully filled it with an acid.

"You wound me. And no. Demons made her into armor for me." Rolling his eyes, the doctor sat down, "I have not abandoned the deity that has cared for me, but I serve him in different ways. Ones that don't require my beloved trickster to be turned into clothing."

"I don't want to know." The two assassins muttered together.

"You don't have to... Is this what you two do these mornings?"

"Mmm." Now engrossed in their work once more, they barely gave more than a grunt as an answer.

"Bucky, do you not attend church with Steve and Sarah?"

"Mmm-mm." He began working on the miniature gears that would allow for another one of Clint's hookshot arrows.

"And you don't meditate with Natasha?" The man turned to Clint, who shook his head. "... You do not consider this your religion? These weapons?" He waved an uncharacteristically bare hand over the contents of the table.

"They are life." Bucky shrugged as if maintaining that the sky were blue in the face of someone questioning if it were not, indeed, rainbow.

"And not your families?"

"We guard our families with them. Without these things, they would have died long ago."

"...True." The man sat back and observed the two assassins a couple moments longer, wondering at the strange ideological tendencies humans took on after lives like theirs. He was about to leave when the sliding door opened to reveal Steve, as well as little Sarah, who barreled out from behind her father's legs to hug Bucky.

"Hey dada! We learned about forgiveness today."

Her father swung her up into his arms, sitting her on his lap, "That is good."

Steve eased over and sat down, "Sorry, she wanted to see you."

"That is fine, moy malen'kiy soldat." He kissed her head and promptly began showing her how to fit the gears together smoothly so that the arrow didn't jam mid-air.

"You shouldn't show her how to do that…" Steve frowned.

"It's good for her to know." Clint reached over the table to pick up an arrowhead from a jar full of them. "Maybe she could join us on Sunday mornings."

"Can I?" The girl seemed excited at the prospect.

"No." Steve seemed uncomfortable with the idea, and despite his daughter's fallen features, he stayed firm. "No, she will not."

Victor sat back, not wanting to interrupt the conversation, though he smiled to see that Natasha's morose features entered the fray just in time to make it interesting.

She shrugged, "She needs to learn. I began later than her, but then again, I developed at a pace only  _slightly_  above the average." The woman flipped a chair around, but instead of straddling it, she leaned her side against the back and placed her feet on her boyfriend's lap. "But yes, she should learn. Little soldier…" Nat paused, as if rethinking the invitation she were about to broach, "You should work with me on Sunday's when you're a little older. I can teach you how to use a knife-"

"No!" Steve shouted, shocking his daughter, but only mildly startling the three assassins, who seemed to be in a trance that morning. "What is wrong with you guys? She's a child-"

"We were too." Clint interrupted, his eyes not leaving the feathers he was etching into the shaft of an arrow. There wasn't pity or sadness in the sentence, the words as toneless as if he'd stated the time.

Steve paused, taking in the visages of the people around him. Bucky was reverting to Winter's icy demeanor while he worked. At the head of the table, Clint seemed lost to his own world, like he'd stopped fighting his hearing loss and let the world ring around him. Most notably, Natasha hadn't cracked a smile or laugh once. If Steve had to be honest, on a normal Sunday he'd never come home early from church - he'd never realized that the only reason his friends had never broken down was because they'd never fully healed.

In that moment, even his daughter seemed to share in their behavior, like she'd absorbed the ritual while in Natasha's womb. His eyes widened to find out he'd seen her act like this in church, when her eyes became glazed as she stared into the stain glass, the sermon falling on deaf ears. The girl was gaining a look in her stare that terrified him. It was the look of hollowness as the soul receded to heal what was torn deep inside. It was far less prominent than the adults around her, but the fact that something lurked inside her heart enough to evoke even a shade of that lost expression shattered his calm.

He was about to yell again when he noticed Victor's smile.

He turned to take in the scene more fully.

There was that sadistic grin that he hadn't seen in so long, making a chill run up his skin. In that moment he was vividly reminded of why he had been so reluctant to let the man in his house.

Those memories awakened all the others-

Natasha's gaze hiding all of the secrets and the skills that were honed on multitudes of the dead. Clint's eyes taking in every detail and etching it in his mind, the dozens of murders hiding somewhere in that vast log of information. Loki's psychotic grin as he brought an army down around them, killing thousands in one day. Victor's grin. The terror that man had brought with his insane scramble for power and knowledge, the robots that had crushed and burned the homes of millions, whose families now watched as he lived out his happily-ever-after, guarded by those who called themselves Earth's mightiest heroes.

And Bucky.

Who had ruthlessly cut down some of the most important players in history, becoming the man who was the very pivot upon which some of the modern world's darkest eras turned.

And they sat here, worshiping their weapons, with intentions meant for good but edges too sharp to have been forgotten so easily. And they were raising his child, a girl who reflected the shadows of their past and would perhaps meld them into her very being.

How could he have so carelessly thrown away those warnings…?

Bucky had even tried to stop him, telling him what lay ahead, but all Steve had seen was the good in them - he assumed they would only act on the purity within, tossing aside their twisted pasts. But he had never known this was what happened every week - how they meditated on life.

These parts of his family would always be there, hidden, waiting to spring.

And he had been so blind to it.

Part of him had the distinct need to snatch up his baby girl and run as far away from them as possible. Another, far darker part, gave him reason not to.

These people were a part of this world, and things much worse than them existed, ready to maim his child; kill her, destroy her. He wanted her to have the life they never could, one filled with joy and happiness, but here he'd only been looking forward, and never stopping to remind himself of the shadows they trailed.

She would have her own shadow - had already begun weaving it's fabric with her wounds and her magic - and she needed these deadly beings that surrounded her to teach her how to survive.

He deflated, resting into his chair, ears ringing as his revelation went unnoticed save for the malicious grin painting Victor's scar.

"Thank you." The man chuckled, hand patting Steve's head as he passed, earning a possessive glare from Bucky, "That was entertaining."

Victor may have ceased inflicting mass terror, but he still enjoyed the little things that didn't affect him, such as Steve's pained struggle with his own morals. He left the patio, and Steve noted that he felt like one would during a sunset on the remains of a battlefield, with only the shadows of bodies stretching beside him into forms barely resembling their owners. There was this aching feeling of loneliness, like he was not apart of the shadow's congregations - he had lived and avoided a painful experience, but now he was an intruder in what came _after_ the sidestepped fate.

He stood, and struggled with his next words. "Sarah. You can spend Sunday's here whenever you'd like."

"Thank you, Mom." She smiled up at him, but her eyes only half-caught the light, part of her far away in that otherly world with the assassins.

He stepped inside and looked out.

At a glance, they just looked like a morose family.

But in the morning light he was shocked to see that they each had a soft ease about their features, and while their movements as they worked were almost mechanical, there was a gentle dance to them - like they were all one symphony.

He felt off balance - sick.

A soft hand touched his arm and a motherly smile met his confused look.

Loki nodded, the smile in stark contrast to the memories that had just resurfaced, "They were always this way. You loved them for it, and though you never saw this you knew it was there all along." He shrugged. "You should feel no different about them."

Steve eased slightly, but still moved away, no words forthcoming. Loki sighed.

"Your daughter will be one of them, but if you hate her for it she'll be consumed by it. My family operates on putting together shattered pieces, but yours operates on balance. Without you, all of those people out there will fall and become apart of my house. I would strongly advise against that."

Steve didn't watch Loki as he left, but when he turned there was no sign of the God.

Why did it feel like someone had dug a stake into his heart?

* * *

"Hey, Cap! Sorry for being such a downer!" Natasha held out the plate of barely acceptable food out as an apology. Her features begged for forgiveness past a mask of worried humor. "We cool? Or do I need to buy us some ice cream?"

"We are fine, Natasha." He forced a smile and sat down with his family to eat.

The shadows of the morning had faded and once again they were the people he knew so well. Nat bounced around and snapped pictures, Victor and Loki were snuggling and joking sweetly with each other, Clint was poking fun at everything with a mischievous smile, and most importantly Bucky and Sarah were laughing as they set up her half-birthday cupcakes.

"You can't turn the lights green!" The man chuckled, holding his daughter as she waved her hands over the candles.

"But I just did!"

"Why not blue? Isn't that your favorite color?"

"No, it's red!"

"Red? Really?" Bucky feigned surprise, "I wonder why… Is it because of my star? Your mom's shield?"

"No! Uncle Thor's cape!"

"What?!" He let his mouth drop and gasped as if horrified, "Traitor! You know, Odin wears red-"

"No!" She shook her head violently, "My favorite color is silver now."

"Like me?" Silver chimed in from across the table.

"No! Like Daddy's arm!" She replied proudly.

Bucky jutted out his chest in a show of pride, "My arm  _is_ pretty awesome."

"Mine's better though, my star is pink, and I have Jabi!"

"True…" Bucky sighed, "My star is red like Odin's cape. How tacky."

"I thought you liked tacky." Steve winked at his partner, his mood starting to lighten once more.

"Well, only patriotic tackiness." Bucky shrugged playfully before setting Sarah down in her seat. "Anyway, all is ready. How's my 18 month old?"

"Ready!" She clapped, staring at the green lit candles and waving her hand over them to turn them silver.

Steve watched fondly as Bucky knelt by their daughter and smiled. Together they seemed an invincible pair with only joy to light their path.

He was entirely certain that whatever trials they faced, the two of them would find a way to smile through it, even if it were only a hollow tip of their lips as they assembled weapons and trained. There would never be a moment of sadness so long as they were together.

Of this he was certain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So let me start by saying that I AM SO SORRY IT HAS BEEN SO LONG. I've been very very busy, and tonight was the first night I got a breather (mostly because I was too sick to do anything but write). As such, I apologize if there are a multitude of errors. I don't know when I can update next, but it shouldn't take as long as last time.  
> Whew.  
> Now that that's done: Look forward to Sarah's Kindergarten: Let's-meet-normal-kids phase. It's gonna be great.


	32. Normal

"I doubt that this is a good idea…" Loki was sitting outside the Avenger's tower on the stone edge of a raised garden, elbows on his knees and hands clasped before him as he leaned over to arch an eyebrow at the girl before him. She was looking uncertainly at her gloves, tightening the edge to see if it would hide the glint from her metal arm. She blinked wearily at him for answers. "Don't look to me, I said you should be homeschooled." He flicked his eyes up accusingly to Steve and back down, as if he didn't want to be caught doing so.

Steve rolled his eyes, "Hey, look. Everything will be fine. Sarah is respectful of others, she won't hurt anyone, and no one will hurt her. My little girl knows how to take care of herself." He placed on hand on Sarah's head, and grinned down at her comfortingly.

She offered a weak smile, "I dunno. It's just… I've never met someone my age…" She whispered. "And Erik doesn't count," She added when her father opened his mouth to say something.

Steve glared at Loki, who seemed taken aback, "I did not teach her the sass of which you mortals speak. But to be honest, the boy  _is_  just little more than a babe. And he's Thor's, so I doubt he'll be able to communicate anytime soon."

"You're lucky Thor didn't hear you say that." Nat giggled, snapping a picture of Sarah really quick. "And don't worry, Sarah. You'll do great. Everyone knows who you are-"

"That makes it worse…" She muttered, almost unable to be heard.

Loki made a pained face, able to sympathize, "If you act like Thor and brazen your way through the day, perhaps it won't be so bad. My advice is not to hide. That tends to worsen the experience."

The little girl tapped her feet on the ground. As a four year old, she was growing out of her toddler years, and had already leapt the boundary between that and kindergarten in intellect. However, she often reverted to tantrums or fits of pouting that was uncharacteristic of those who had two more years to learn command of themselves, which worried Steve more than anything else. She wasn't a very tiny thing either by comparison, her genes offering her a height and leanness that gave her the visage of an older child. Her nervous shuffling finally brought her father from his uneasy stance behind Steve to kneel by his daughter, holding her shoulders. "I'm going to be honest with you, okay?"

She snuffled in the crisp fall air and nodded up at Bucky.

"You're going to be much younger than your peers. They might know more things than you - or they might know less. They might be nervous around you, or overbearing. But you just have to act like you, okay? Just… act like you normally would -  _without_  magic, understood?" He waited for her to nod in agreement before continuing, "But if worse comes to worse, you have JARVIS with you, and you're strong. Everything will be fine."

"What if there is a bully?"

"If someone is stupid enough to bully Sarah Rogers, that person deserves to experience natural selection."

"Bucky!" Steve's jaw dropped.

"I agree with Winter." Loki shrugged. "She needs to assert her dominance over the mortal imbeciles."

"Yeah," Nat knelt beside Sarah and took her hand, "Remember the knife trick I showed you-"

Clint chimed in, "And if you want I can give you a bow and arrow-"

"No!" Steve facepalmed and sighed, "Dear God, just- no. Sarah, no violence. Words can solve any crises when you're in Kindergarten, so don't listen to these people."

"Uh… I'll just take Jabi's advice…" The poor girl seemed a little overwhelmed.

"Good choice, little snow creature." The AI sounded joyful almost.

"Well, no matter what," Loki looked to the sun's position, "It's time for her to go to school."

* * *

"This…" Steve sighed, a hand covering his face, "Is entirely your fault."

"I don't know  _what_  you're talking about." Winter growled from the wall, staring down two very nervous parents and the school counselor.

The office was far too small for the menacing glares of Bucky and Loki as they took opposite positions of each other, alternately glaring down the parents and the counselor to maximize the discomfort of those involved. Two chairs sat in front of the counselor's desk, each with a dejected child in it. Steve stood behind Sarah, not wanting to believe this had already happened.

"So... What went wrong?" Steve asked, reverting to his 'Captain' stance.

Both children squirmed uneasily, so the counselor, wringing his hands, answered, "They were let out for recess and, from what I understand, the children decided to play at being spies… Sarah here took the game a little too seriously, and her actions, while not physically harming the other children, did - in fact - frighten them. Peter here came to us crying-"

"I didn't cry!" The child beside Sarah barked, though the tone wasn't terribly loud as he sensed the tension in the room and didn't want to breach it, only wanting to save himself some pride.

The counselor frowned, "Now Peter, don't lie-"

"He wasn't crying." Sarah jerked her chin up.

"Ah-" The counselor seemed confused and a little more than terrified at how to react to the fact that two children were undermining the truth of his words. "I- I saw him crying. You were there and saw it as well, Sarah."

"I was there and I saw Peter. He wasn't crying, he was just upset." Sarah maintained.

Peter seemed thankful for the support and smiled over at the girl, though she'd made him burst into tears not a half hour before. "Uh...well, despite the crying-"

"Which didn't happen." Peter straightened up proudly.

"Yes… well. Despite the crying that didn't happen, Peter  _was_  very upset over Sarah's actions. And while I am aware Sarah's family life is… very different from the norm-" Sarah jolted and frowned at him, but he ignored the motion, "But we would like you to make sure she understands that running around yelling in fluent Russian and jumping out of trees to 'gank' people is not an acceptable form of behavior."

"I wasn't hurting anyone…" Sarah argued, "I was careful, and we  _were_ playing spies…"

Steve sighed, his shoulders sagging, "Little star, you  _can't_  do that. It's like when you play with Grandpa Fury - even though you're both fine you  _cannot_  run at him from his blind spot. It startles him. Do you understand?"

She looked down at her clasped hands and nodded with a very quiet, "Yessir…"

"Will this happen again?" He prompted.

"No, sir."

"What do you say to Peter - and the other children?"

"...I'm sorry for scaring you, Peter."

Peter looked down to ponder what his next move would be before he finally grinned at her, "It's okay! I thought it was cool what you did. Just...next time you should warn people. And not surprise us. And...maybe don't sound as angry when you speak in Russian."

"Okay." Sarah smiled up at her newfound friend.

Loki, however, twitched in the background, "You made your daughter apologize to this mewling quim of a mortal? After she bested him? How degrading."

"Kiki…" Sarah groaned, realizing her Uncle was about to start another fight.

"No, I am serious. So you scared a few little mongrel creatures- so what? In Asgard you would have been thrown a feast for defeating a class full of your peers-" As Loki continued to rant, Peter leaned over and whispered to Sarah:

"You're Uncle is scary… He reminds me of the crazy guy who tried to take down New York."

Bucky chuckled from where he leaned against the wall, "That's because he  _is_  the guy who tried to take down New York."

"Wait- the child didn't recognize me at first?" Loki glared at the boy who was now shaking in fear.

"Well, to be honest," Bucky offered, "You  _were_  wearing that reindeer helmet-"

"THEY ARE GOAT HORNS-"

"Reindeer-"

"GOAT-"

Sarah's eyebrows snapped into an annoyed line and her mouth formed a pouting shape as she huffed and crossed her arms, "Every time."

Peter's parent's stared openly at the strange argument while Steve groaned, letting his head fall back before he straightened up to negotiate peace between the two parties. "I thought my family had bad fights…" Peter muttered.

Sarah frowned, "They aren't fighting, not really. They usually blow something up before they consider it a real fight."

Steve flushed with embarrassment at this while the normal adults grew pale in worry. "Sarah, we're going to have to talk about some things when we get home."

"Oh, can I come see your home?" Peter asked excitedly.

"Sure!" Sarah clapped.

* * *

"D'aw! She has a friend!" Natasha whispered excitedly from the kitchen as Sarah showed off her parent's level of the tower to a slack-jawed Peter.

Steve ignored the statement, his head hiding behind his hands as he leaned his torso against the wall, "I was told never to bring Bucky and Loki back to the school."

"Figures. Why did you bring Loki in the first place?"

"I didn't. He just followed. I thought, 'what could go wrong?' Well now I know."

"How much damage?"

"It was only a broken desk, but I forgot that people don't see mildly damaged furniture as a blessing."

"Huh." She shrugged, "I'm more worried about when Erik goes off to school."

"I most certainly will not be dealing with that…" He sighed.

"Could you imagine if he could wield Thor's hammer-"

"Don't jinx it."

"I'm not- crap." Nat's eyes widened when she noticed what the children were up to. "Uh, honey- don't let him touch my gun!"

Clint, who had been watching quietly from the table, turned to Steve, "Where are his parents?"

"Being talked to death by Tony and Bucky about how safe the tower is with JARVIS and how their child won't die simply by stepping foot in here."

"Poor parents."

"Yeah…"

"So how long is the kid staying?"

"Peter? Until his parents flee with him or he wants to leave."

"Seems nice enough. He hasn't even asked Sarah about her arm."

"He hasn't seen it, can he?"

"He noticed it a couple minutes ago when she pointed up to the ceiling to indicate JARVIS and her sleeve fell down, but when she quickly hid it he didn't say anything."

"..." Steve looked out to see Natasha showing the children her knife, focusing his gaze on the young boy with dirty blonde hair and a gap-toothed grin, "I think I like Peter."

"I think I do too." Clint took a sip from his juice box.

"Where did you get that? Did you steal that from Sarah?"

"Dude, I didn't steal it. I traded a hookshot arrow for it."

"Please stop barting weaponry for food with my child."

Clint took one last long pull from the juicebox, making it gurgle as he drained it, and sighed contentedly when he had finished. "No."

"Asshole."

Clint jolted, hissing, "Language, Cap! There are children around."

"...Somedays I hate you."

* * *

"Peter, right?" Bruce asked as he helped set out the food for the dinner table.

"Yep!"

"That's a nice name. Did you enjoy the tower?" Bruce sat down and began preparing his meal.

"Yeah! Everything is so cool! I can't believe you all get to live here!"

"Live is a subjective term." JARVIS muttered from above.

"Naw, the kid's right. It's awesome here." Tony grinned, taking his seat at the table beside Bruce, who tossed him a napkin to make him put on his lap, earning a huff of softened annoyance from the inventor.

"So, Peter," Thor began as he strapped little Erik into his high chair, "How does Midgardian Kind Garden fair for you?"

"It's Kindergarten, you oaf." Loki corrected, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, I apologize. How is this Kindergarten for you?"

Peter laughed at how the Gods spoke but replied, "I like it very much."

"Good." Thor boomed as he sat down, "And what of your day, Lady Sarah?"

"I liked it a lot! We played spies-"

"And got in trouble…" Steve gave her a chiding look.

"But it was so cool!" Peter defended his new friend, "She was flipping off trees and hiding like a ninja!"

"Yeah! Auntie Nat taught me how to do all that." She grinned.

"Who ever said I wasn't the best Aunt ever?" Natasha opened her arms to indicate herself.

Clint elbowed her, trying not to smile and failing, "So, Peter, what do you want to do when you grow up? Or whatever I'm supposed to ask Kindergarteners."

"I want to be a pilot!" He grinned.

"Sam is a pilot!" Sarah pointed to Sam, who waved to let Peter know it was him.

"Falcon?" The boy gasped.

"You've got that right. Maybe next time you come over I can show you my wings-"

Steve, the voice of reason, interrupted, "Now, Sam, I don't know about that…"

"No, it'll be totally fine-"

"Yes, and those words, spoken in this household, have  _never_  failed to hold true…" Loki's voice dripped with sarcasm as he cut his food into small, manageable pieces.

"Do not be so pessimistic, brother."

"Learn to cut your food, brother-"

"You have called me brother for the first time in weeks!" Thor clapped.

Loki's features fell into a horrified expression, "Oh, damn…" And, sure enough, Thor barrelled over to hug his little brother breathless, while Jane, the only thing that had sat between the two brothers, smiled lovingly at the display, even as she'd had to duck to avoid Thor's flails of excitement.

Peter frowned and leaned over to Sarah, "Do they-"

"Do this a lot? Yeah…" She shrugged, "Don't worry. Loki usually is fine."

"I think Thor is squishing him…"

"That's why I added the 'usually' part…"

Bucky shrugged, "3 out of 5 times he's uninjured." When Thor swung the wheezing god in a circle, Bucky made a face, "I think we're in the unlucky 40% right now…"

* * *

"It was nice meeting you, Peter!" Sarah grinned, hugging her new friend goodbye.

"It was nice meeting you, Sarah! I had a lot of fun!" The boy hugged her back before taking his mom's hand and walking to their car, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye!" Sarah held Bucky's left hand with her right, while waving with the other emphatically as the car disappeared from sight, with a small figure waving goodbye from the window.

When it was gone, Bucky swooped his little girl up into his arms, "You did well today, moy malen'kiy soldat."

"I did?"

"Yes," He moved back inside, Steve trailing them with an exhausted expression. "I think you and Peter will be marvelous friends."

"If his parents let him see her again…" Steve sighed, resting his forehead on Bucky's back as they walked along.

"I'm sure they will." Bucky reassured Sarah.

They went up to their level and, as per their nightly ritual, tucked her in and told her a goodnight story. Sometimes they read from books, sometimes they told her about their pasts, sometimes Loki and Victor would come in and tell her about gods and magic and otherworldly things. But tonight they told her how they had met simply by teaching each other how to sit cross legged when they were very young. At the end, as her eyes drooped, she asked, "Will I meet my soulmate sometime soon?"

Bucky and Steve looked to each other uncertainly before Bucky cleared his throat, "Uh, well. You don't really know when you meet them. Sometimes it takes many years, like for Loki and Victor, or it takes a few, like with Steve and I. But… We didn't really know it until much later, so…" He shrugged, "It's something you really don't need to think about right now."

"Okay…" She smiled trustingly as her eyes slid closed and her breathing eased.

"Goodnight, moy malen'kiy soldat…" Bucky whispered before kissing her forehead.

He took Steve's hand and led him back to their room, where they prepared for bed. As Bucky brushed his teeth, Steve asked, "Do you think sending her to school was the right idea?"

"Ob cour'd I do! I dink id a gbead bay bor he'b to beat bends."

"...Is it sad that you've answered me like that so many times that I've just learned to translate without even thinking about it?"

Bucky spit into the sink and glared out of the bathroom, "Hey, that's only cause I speak clearly."

"Buck, you  _never_  speak clearly. Your American accent is worse than mine- Ow!" Steve flinched, frowning down at the toothbrush that had just hit him on the back of the neck. "Seriously? You're such a child!"

"You're a child!"

"No, you are! You just threw a wet toothbrush at me! Ugh," he dragged his fingers through his hair, "Is this toothpaste?!"

"I dunno."

"Bucky!" Steve tossed a dirty sock into the bathroom so that it hit his partner on the head.

"Really?! In my hair? You're filthy-" Bucky paused, the sock still hanging in his face, his eyes glazing over as he relapsed for a second.

"Buck…?" Steve asked, recognizing that his partner was being pulled into the past.

"We used to do this all the time during sleepovers. Only most of the time I was the one throwing socks at you."

"Yeah, it was disgusting. Your feet smelled terrible."

"..." Bucky grinned, "I forgot just how  _adorable_  you were when you'd get all pouty and try to stand up to me even though you were almost half my height-"

"I wasn't that tiny!"

Bucky tossed the sock off his head and moved out of the bathroom to pull Steve into his arms, "You were  _very_  tiny."

"Shut up!" Steve flushed.

"And you would be so indignant about my hygiene and force me to brush my teeth-"

"Even you have to admit you needed that."

"I remembered the time you grabbed me by my hair and pulled me to the sink, brushing my teeth for me." Bucky began laughing as he remembered.

" _Steve - gah - ow, that hurts!"_

" _That is it! I will not let your teeth rot out of your head." The smaller man had knotted his fingers in the hair at the nape of James' neck, pulling the sensitive strands and causing him to stumble along behind as Steve went on his miniature crusade. The boy, no more than fifteen, turned on the sink, grabbed a toothbrush, and somehow managed to squeeze toothpaste onto it with one hand. He then wrenched James' head back, "Open up."_

" _No-gah!" Steve took the chance to shove the brush into his mouth._

" _Idiot." James endured as Steve set to cleaning his teeth, unable to struggle as it caused him severe pain in the back of his neck. By the end, Steve tossed the toothbrush back into a cup and let go. James spit and gasped, heaving into the sink. "Don't be such a baby, it's just dental hygiene- great, your gums are bleeding."_

" _You made me bleed!?"_

" _Yeah, it's what happens when you don't brush for a while. Dammit, no wonder your teeth have been aching - what if you have cavities?!" Steve gripped James' jaw on either side, forcing him to open his mouth, "What if you have to get them pulled!? You'll be in pain-"_

_When James realized that Steve really did mean well- and this wasn't some cruel and unusual form of torture- he eased, pulling the smaller man into a hug. "Aw, wittle Stevie, are you worried about me?"_

_Steve punched James' chest, "Yeah, you punk!" Those big blue eyes glared up at him as he struggled away from the embrace, "And don't call me that!"_

" _But you're so teeny! Look how you fit up against me, you're like my gal-" It was meant to be harmless teasing, but Steve flushed and his fist connected powerfully with James' sternum, making him double over coughing._

" _Shut up!" James wasn't sure if the tears he saw in Steve's eyes were a distortion of the tears in his own or actually brimming over onto those blushing cheeks. "I'm not a girl- I swear to God, I'm not always gonna be this small!"_

" _H-hey," James coughed his way through his words, "I didn't mean it that way, buddy." He grabbed Steve's hand and pulled him into a bone crushing hug, "You know I like the way you are. And I know you'll hit puberty soon-"_

" _Shut up." Came the muffled reply from his chest._

" _And when you do I'll be terrified cause you're gonna get all the dames and I'll be left by the wayside."_

" _Shut up…" The anger was all gone from the statement as Steve wiggled away from James and tried to hide the smile on his face._

" _Is that a little smile I see? I see you're smiling! You can't hide it from me!" Steve fled, laughing, as James gave chase, "I know you think I'm funny!"_

" _No! You're a big idiot! Ow!"_

_James had gripped Steve around the waist and pulled him into his arms, playfully driving his knuckles into the blonde's scalp, when the door peaked open. Both boys froze as they met Sarah Roger's eyes._

_She smiled tenderly at them, "How are you boys doing?"_

" _Uh… Good, Ma." Steve replied._

_The woman laughed gently, "Okay, don't be too rough with my son, James, he's not full grown yet-"_

" _Ma!" Steve flushed, making her giggle._

" _Don't worry, Ma'am," James swung the smaller boy up into his arms, maiden style, "I'll take good care of your son always, even when he's full grown!"_

" _Buck! Put me down!" Steve struggled, blushing profusely._

_Sarah burst out laughing, having to cup a hand over her mouth. When she finally stopped, she nodded, "Thank you, James. That means a lot to me."_

" _No problem, Ma'am!" He grinned, swinging Steve back to his feet._

" _Okay, you two. Have fun! If you need anything I'm only in the building across the street caring for Mrs. Smith."_

" _Okay, thanks Ma!" Steve moved to hug her goodbye. When she left, he rounded on James. "Why would you do that!?"_

" _Cause I felt like it."_

" _Jerk!"_

" _Punk!" James advanced and picked up Steve again, moving him to the couch, "But seriously, calm down." His features creased in worry and he placed a hand on the fuming boy's forehead, "Don't aggravate your asthma… Okay?"_

_Steve didn't answer for a moment, still flushed and looking away. Finally, he replied, "Fine."_

" _...You want me to turn on the radio?"_

" _...Yeah." Steve eased into the couch while James flipped the radio on to one of the news stations, talking about the issues occurring in Europe, which he knew interested Steve greatly. He returned to the couch, grabbing a blanket on the way, and the two boys tucked themselves into the broken down cushions, snuggling for warmth._

_When Sarah returned later that night to see Steve resting his head on James' chest, with the bigger boy gently rubbing his back to ease the wheezing sounds eminating from there, she smiled fondly. "James, you take such good care of my son…"_

" _Oh, hey, it's no problem. He's my best friend."_

" _I know he is…" Her eyebrows creased, "You really will take care of him, when he's older and I can't anymore?"_

" _Of course." James seemed confused, "Why wouldn't I?"_

" _Well," she set her stuff to the side, cleaning up the room while she spoke, "Things change. You'll get married, have a family-"_

" _Steve is my family." James smiled down at his friend, moving to run his fingers through the boy's hair._

" _..." Sarah's features eased from mildly surprised to a knowing smile, "You're my son's guardian angel, you know that?"_

" _Naw, Ma'am. If anyone's an angel, it's this little guy."_

_She bit her lip, trying to restrain that knowing smile as she shook her head. "Well, I'm going to get some sleep. Try to as well, alright? If Steve has an attack, you'll wake right up, you don't need to stay up to watch over him."_

" _...I just worry about him…"_

" _I know you do."_

" _I love him…" The words were out of his mouth before he knew it, exhaustion breaking down his filters._

" _I know you do." She repeated, smiling as she left the room._

"Buck?" The man startled when he noticed Steve's hand waving in front of his face. "What's wrong?"

Bucky took a second, then started to laugh, "Man, I think your mom knew we were gay-"

"What?!" Steve jolted. "How!?"

Bucky explained the story and at the end, Steve's mouth hung open.

When he finally regained the use of speech, Steve's first words were: "And she didn't tell me?!" He groaned, throwing himself into Bucky's lap as a dramatic show of weariness, "That would have made my life so much easier…"

Bucky burst out laughing, rubbing his partner's back, "I told you I loved you constantly, and you did nothing about it, so don't blame her."

"... I know, I know... I love you, James."

Bucky gently stroked Steve's hair with a soft smile, "I love you too, Stevie…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to update a bit faster since I was so late this last time. Again, so sorry for that. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews, I hope you enjoy :)


	33. Problems, Problems Everywhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! I'm sorry again for taking so long- and how choppy this chapter is. I've been busy (excuses, excuses...). Thank you again for all your support! I hope you enjoy (even though the quality of this is probably lacking...).

Pepper had Bucky by the hand, dragging him behind her. As he stumbled along he wondered how on earth the woman was running faster than him in heels - and able to pull him like this. "I'm so sorry, James, but JARVIS called saying it was an emergency and I don't know why he would call me - but if Bruce is involved-"

"It's okay, ma'am." He finally found his footing and began to jog beside her, rushing down the hall towards the lab. "Just stay behind- or not-" He sighed as she full-body tackled a door open.

He stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw.

There, sitting at their desks, were Bruce and Tony. At first, they appeared to be calmly doing work, but looking closely he could see they were playing a three dimensional version of minesweeper that Natasha had programmed for them when they got bored.

"Anthony Edward Stark!" Pepper's voice finally woke the men from their reprieve, "You're supposed to be working on the energy-"

"Program-city-plan-thing, yeah!" Tony's eye twitched as he flicked his gaze away, startled enough that his features told clearly the lies he had begun to craft. "I was just taking a break-"

"Is it edited?"

"Um… no."

"Is there a finished rough draft?"

"...Well, I mean-"

"In your head doesn't count."

"Then, well-"

"Anthony." Pepper's tone made him shrink back. "Show me what you have."

"..." He swallowed and looked to Bruce, who'd begun edging away from the conflict. "W-well..."

"Anthony. This. Has been planned. For three months. Compared to your 'bifrost skyping,' this should have been easy. So. Tell me. What are you going to show the board tomorrow- the city council? The people who let you run around destroying their city every other week? What are you going to show them?"

Tony grew pale and made a squeaking sound, "I'll show them the finished project which I can do- like- now?"

She put her hands on her hips, "Have you even started?"

"Well-"

"Have you even thought about it?"

"Well-"

"Is 'well' the only word you know?"

He shrugged, looking anywhere but her.

"Anthony." She started again, approaching him slowly, dangerously. Bucky would say like a lion stalking it's prey if it weren't for the directness- the utter knowledge that she was about to tear into the man before her - and also that even a lion would cower before Pepper Potts in that moment. "I swear to God; any god, for that matter. I swear upon Thor's hammer, Loki's ridiculous helmet, and Odin's greying beard. I swear that if you do not finish this project before the night is out, so help me, I  _will punish_  you."

Bucky thought Tony might lighten the mood with a little joke about the punishing bit, but instead whatever she meant by that threat terrified all the one-liners out of him.

Gods help them all if Pepper became a supervillain, because she was making Bucky start to tremble a bit with fear. He began to shuffle over to Bruce when she flipped around smoothly on her heel and pinned both shying men on the spot with her poisoned gaze, deceptively framed with a smile and firm, but soft tone. "You two. You will stay with Tony. If he so much as takes a step outside this room or closes his eyes for more than a blink you are to bring him back or wake him up by any means necessary. He is to be working. And by that, I mean if he begins working on anything outside of the key words 'cheap, clean, renewable energy for New York City,' then you are to let me know immediately. I'll have Natasha up here in a few minutes to program JARVIS to let you know if he so much as falters from that path, but for now I'm trusting you two to make the judgement. If you so much as leave your posts before 8 AM tomorrow - when I'll be here to make sure Tony cleans up for his meeting with the city council and the board of Stark Industries - I will see to it that: a)Steve and Sarah will have a PR meeting far far away and for a long time, without you-" She pointed to Bucky, who swallowed nervously, "And b) I give the Stark Industries' scientist division, the one that was absorbed from SHIELD, leeway to start testing out some of their more creative serums on the good doctor here. I'm sure that, for science, you will be unable to oppose the idea." She smiled kindly at Bruce, her sweet demeanor nearly masking the severity of her words. "Especially since, apparently, no one has been watching Tony and making sure he was at least  _managing_  his time wisely. Now, I have to go and see if I can't push the time for tomorrow's meeting to give Tony the chance to at least edit his draft. Good day."

With that she strode out the door and left them feeling ill.

Bucky moved to Tony's side, gripping his shoulder before leaning in to whisper in his ear, "You brought this on us. And now you're going to fix it. So  _science._ " With a wave of his hand he took the projected game off the holographic monitor and stood back.

"Right, urm, well. Brucie, why don't you come sit here and help-"

"I-I-I'm gonna stay back here for a bit…" The doctor looked a little queasy and adjusted his glasses nervously.

"Right, right. Do you want me to come over and comfort-"

"No, god no…" The man shivered, "I will not be the reason that woman has an aneurism. Stay there. Just- do your work. I'll be there in a bit."

"Okay…" Tony flicked his eyes about a couple seconds before he pulled up a drawing board, ready to work. "I can do this, this will be easy. Just another late night." He cracked his knuckles and back before setting in. "A drink would be great though."

"Not a chance." Bucky took a seat by Tony, "Do your work."

"Ah, thanks for that one,  _dad_."

"I'm going to ignore that statement."

"Good, I don't want my head broken in."

* * *

Eventually, Bruce had calmed enough to go join Tony, sitting beside the genius and offering him ears to listen and eyes to edit with. All the while, Bucky sat glaring the two men down, the added pressure of his dark gaze making them work that much faster. Natasha came through, did something to JARVIS, smacked Tony on the back of the head, and left.

In time, they finished. But he made them go right back to the beginning and start over, checking every little detail.

They finished with an hour to spare, so Bucky took both by the nape of the neck and tossed them onto a couch, ordering them to sleep there. At the very word, both sets of eyes drooped and two chests eased into a harmony as the men fell into a deep slumber. During their sleep they shifted restlessly until Bruce was snuggled up against Tony's side, nuzzling his head on his shoulder, making his glasses tip awkwardly off the brink of his nose.

Bucky sat back after making sure they were comfortable, flicking through the files to check for spelling errors. He looked up eventually to see Pepper enter, noting that she seemed startled not to see Tony frantically scrambling up bits of information to toss in at the last minute, "Where are they?"

Flipping the hologram around towards her, he nodded to it, "Don't worry, they finished and I had them edit."

She strode up, frowned at much of what she saw in slight confusion, before shrugging. "JARVIS, upload this to the mobile database in a locked file - the usual password will work. Where's Tony? I need to get him ready."

Bucky nodded to the miniature pile of exhausted scientists on the couch. He caught a soft smile tipping the edges of her lips before she schooled her expression and strode over. She shook Tony gently, and he woke with a start, "Mrehg…" He looked around, then down at Bruce, "I hope he didn't drool on me…"

"Get up Tony, we have to go."

"Right...right… Can I-"

"Nap in the car. Of course. But we have to go now."

"Good. Right. Moving. Okay." He carefully lifted Bruce's weight off of his shoulder and onto the back of the couch, "Watch him, Winter?"

"Sure."

"Go upstairs, don't deviate from the routine. Shower, dress, car, eat." Pepper ordered.

"Right!" Tony bolted and raised his arms to waist height, calling his suit with the bracelets he never went anywhere without anymore. The windows opened right before he jumped and the suit assembled mid-air.

"He needs to stop doing that…" Pepper sighed. "Bruce won't always be there to catch him if he falls."

"Someone will."

She gave him a sad look, and shook her head, her voice low and soft, like she could barely force the words past her lips, "You people aren't immortal. Even Thor and Loki will look like Odin one day, and one day…" she looked down. "What are you people doing with your lives?"

Bucky flicked his eyes over her weary expression, realizing that, without her, none of them would have a productive purpose beyond guarding the world. Living their individual lives as they saw fit would actually end up posing a danger to their surroundings.

And of them all, if anyone slipped away, the first would be Pepper. Yes, she was healthy and strong in her own right, but she didn't have their strength in her blood, she didn't have superhuman powers or the life-span of an immortal. She was ephemeral, and she worried about what would happen when she could no longer do this-

The small pushes in the right direction, the whole motivating them with fear and love, organizing an entire empire around them so they could be nestled safely forever without having to worry about their world crumbling down…

This was Pepper's gift to them: a home.

And she wouldn't even be there to help them keep it that way.

Along this line of thought, Bruce and Tony weren't destined for the world much longer either. There were wrinkles lining their eyes, dark circles from overwork and stress, unhealthy habits finally creeping into their features…

Bucky looked away as weariness shred through his soul and he sighed.

"I'm sorry…" Pepper placed a hand on his arm, "I didn't mean to bring it up… I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's fine." He pulled her into a side hug, "What are we gonna do without you, Pep?"

"You'll all be fine!" She shot him a brilliant grin, one filled with love, compassion, and faith. "Somehow, I know you'll all get through anything together." She patted his arm and moved, "I have to go meet Tony in the car, thank you again, James." She waved, rushing out.

In the silence he muttered, "Why didn't you say 'we?'"

* * *

"Okay, on three." Bucky grinned. "One… Two… Three!" As he said this last bit, he swung Sarah up into Natasha's arms. The girl laughed and Natasha faked a grunt.

"God, you're getting heavy, girl! Soon I won't be able to lift you."

"Don't lie, Auntie Nat!"

Nat made a disapproving sound, "Hey, if a 23 month old can see through my lies I've grown way too rusty."

"Yeah, we need to get back in the field soon. Who knows? You might not even be able to shoot a gun anymore." Bucky smiled when his daughter laughed at his comment.

"Auntie Nat shoots better than you!"

"Hey! Not long range-"

"Uncle Hawk does that."

"You're my daughter, you're supposed to defend my abilities, not insult them."

"What? She's just stating the truth!" Nat stuck her tongue out at him.

Before Bucky could give a witty retort, he heard Steve's gasp behind him. "Nat! Get down from there! What if you two fall!?"

"It's okay, Mommy! Auntie Nat has the best balance."

"Yeah, sure," Steve grumbled, approaching the balance bar Natasha was standing on. "You just wait till you're old enough to see the video of Natasha on Mardi Gras-"

"Shut up!" She hissed. "I can't believe Tony still has that on file."

"I can't believe you're endangering my daughter- What are you doing up there with her?"

"Auntie Nat says she doesn't want me to fear heights."

"Better than how they trained me as a kid." Nat shrugged.

Steve rolled his eyes, reaching out for Sarah, "Give me her. Now."

"Fiiiine!" She handed Sarah to Steve, who glared at her and Bucky a second before the girl started begging him to show her how he threw his shield again. The man sighed, taking her over to his side of the gym and setting her down to retrieve his shield. The assassins watched from Bucky's side as Steve began tossing the shield through targets before Bucky broached the silence with a whisper.

"You know, Pepper seems off."

"You just noticed?"

"Not really… It's been a while, but… I don't know. Is she okay?"

"Well, how would you feel if you and Steve didn't fit perfectly, but there was someone out there who fit him to a 'T,' and you were the only thing in the way of that relationship?"

"Shitty."

"Bingo."

They watched as Sarah clapped, asking to watch the shield fly again. Bucky swallowed, "So, what happens, then?"

"Whatever happens will happen. There's nothing we can do."

"See, that wasn't your philosophy with Steve and I."

"I didn't have to break anyone's heart in the process, now did I?"

"No, I guess not." He took a deep breath, "But if Tony and Pepper end their relationship, what then?"

"I don't know, honestly."

"Will she leave us?"

"Maybe."

"I don't really want that."

"No one does - not even Tony or Pepper." Nat dropped down smoothly to stand by him, "But this is just the way some things are."

"Sucks."

"Mm."

"Daddy! Look how cool Mommy is!" Sarah waved wildly at Steve, who rolled his eyes behind her with a loving smile.

"Very cool." Bucky grinned back, "Did you know he was so cool one time that he got frozen for a few decades?"

"Really?!" Sarah's eyes grew wide.

"Aw, Buck, really?" Steve gave him an exhausted 'I just wanted to be able to sleep tonight' look.

"Yeah! We'll tell you the whoooole story tonight before bed!"

"Yeah!" The girl jumped for joy, with her father facepalming in the background, shoulders drooping wearily.

"Can I just say that you're the best co-parent ever?" Natalie snorted.

"Yes, yes you can." Bucky moved over to comfort Steve, who'd begun to whine.

* * *

"I want. To die." Bruce muttered, leaning on the edge of the railing.

"Mmm." Bucky cracked his neck. "Feeling's mutual, buddy."

"Why did you let Nat photograph Tony and I snuggling?"

"Cause it's payback for all the times you let her take pictures of Steve and I dating, snuggling, cooking, or whatever it happened to be."

"You're the worst…"

"I'm not the one stealing Tony Stark's heart."

"I'm- What? Tony- I- No!" Bruce's face flushed, "I don't - I mean - that's not- I don't feel that way about men."

"Mmmhm." Bucky rolled his eyes and looked out over the city, avoiding eye-contact with the nervous wreck of a man.

"You still think Tony and I- No, we would never be a thing. Even if I liked men, he's not my type."

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

"Cause he'd be top?"

"No!" Bruce looked affronted, "That's not what I meant. Besides…" He played with his glasses, fidgeting, "I'd be top. I'm the damn Hulk."

"And Steve was Captain Fucking America."

"H-hey! I didn't need to know that!"

"How did you not? I call him my wife-"

"I didn't realize that implied other  _things_."

"...Are you a virgin or something?" Bucky frowned over at him.

"No! God, why would you ask? Of course I'm not." Bruce started to tremor the way he only did when he was reaching the limits of his control. Anger was bubbling up too fast inside of him.

"Chill, Bruce. Just asking. You usually aren't this defensive when I poke fun at you." He let the demeanor of Winter take over, being as calm as possible so as not to provoke Bruce.

The scientist twitched a bit, and after some time he calmed down. "Sorry… I don't know. I just feel bad that Pepper thinks something would happen between Tony and I - but we really are just friends." When Bucky seemed unphased by this, he gripped the railing of the balcony tighter, saying with more conviction, "Just friends." But his voice broke on the last syllable.

Bucky sighed as Bruce looked away, blushing. "Look, I don't know what to tell you, but I don't think this is going to end any way but how Tony wants it to. He's the one who you and Pepper are really worried about here."

Bruce traced the outline of the railing and tried to ignore the truth of those words, the way they wounded him was that of some parasite crawling under his skin. He was someone who needed knowledge, control, and clear-cut answers. This situation was probably really irritating the Other Guy, making it easier for him to jump to the surface. Finally, Bruce rasped out, "I don't know."

"None of us do."

"Did you ask Nat?"

"Yeah."

"Nothing?"

"Nope."

"Damn…" Bruce deflated, leaning fully against the railing, "Sometimes I wish I could just fall like everyone else."

"I used to know the feeling." Bucky gave Bruce a pointed look before clapping him on the back, "Get some sleep, let the world turn a couple more times. Things will change or stay the same, but you'll be fine."

Right before Bucky left the balcony, he heard Bruce whisper, "It's not me I'm worried about."

* * *

"Hey, Snowflake." Bucky looked up from the jigsaw puzzle he and Sarah were working on. "Can we talk for a bit?" Tony's voice was quiet.

"Sure." When Tony flicked his eyes to the little girl looking through assorted pieces, Bucky nodded. "Honey, I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy!" She smiled.

"JARVIS," Tony called out, "Watch her."

"You know I will, sir."

They walked into the kitchen and Bucky flipped open the fridge. Tony pointed around him, "An apple-juice box, please."

"What is wrong with you people…?" Bucky muttered, tossing him one, "Is this stuff addictive or something?"

"It's like childhood and calmness." Tony answered with a shrug, "Anyway, I wanted to ask you something."

Bucky grabbed a coke for himself and leaned against the counter by the fridge, "Shoot." His demeanor was calm, but the way Tony tapped his fingers tentatively against the juicebox made his stomach drop.

"So… I've been having this issues lately-" He flicked his eyes up and out into the living room, startling when he saw Pepper enter and seem surprised Sarah wasn't with Bucky. Tony shrunk into the shadows, trying to hide in case she peaked over. The two females talked softly for a bit before Pepper knelt carefully down so as not to disturb her skirt, beginning to help the young girl work through the puzzle.

"And?" Bucky prompted.

"It's about Pepper and Bruce…"

"What about them?"

Tony gently sipped at his juicebox, eyes wide like a cornered rabbit. He fidgeted a bit, his usual air of 'I don't give a fuck' having completely fallen from him. "I…"

"You…?" Bucky waved the coke toward him in an impatient motion.

"I don't know. They seem to get really tense around each other."

"..." Bucky frowned, "What?"

"Yeah," Tony's eyes grew wider - how that was possible was beyond Bucky's comprehension. "They get real tense whenever they're in a room together and they look at each other weird… Do you think there's, maybe, something going on between them?"

"Like… what?" Confused, he tilted his head.

Tony shrugged, nodding for no reason, his confusion making his motions random, "I dunno, like, you think maybe they… they're having an affair?"

Bucky did a spit take, coughing to try to get past the acid now up his nose. It took a couple minutes, during which Sarah came in to hold his hand, waiting for her father's pain to pass. Eventually he managed to wheeze, "Tony, you're a fucking idiot. Hun-" He started hacking a bit more before he could regain the ability to breath, "Honey, don't repeat the word I just said."

"Fucking?"

"Yeah, don't say that."

"Why?"

"We only use it to describe how stupid Uncle Tony is."

"Hey! It's a valid hypothesis-"

"It's a fucking stupid hypothesis- God, what's wrong with the world. Pepper, can you and Sarah go get Loki for me? I think he's in his study." Recently, Tony had sacrificed an entire lab to Loki and Victor so they had room to work - so long as he got to pop in anytime and poke around.

"Sure, James. Sarah, come here." Pepper smiled and reached out to hold the little girl's hand. When they'd walked out of earshot, Bucky wheeled on Tony.

"You're an idiot. I can't believe- Bruce and Pepper? Really?"

"Well, I just thought… I don't know…"

"Yeah, I don't think you did." Bucky slapped Tony on the back of the head with his flesh hand, "Idiot. Fucking idiot."

"What?! What is it then, you tell me!"

"I'll tell you why-"

Loki strode in at that point, having teleported to Steve's level. "Bucky, why on earth did you teach the mortal-ling that word? Steve will kill us - Why are you covered in that disgusting sticky substance? Is that Coke?"

"Yes. Listen to this, Tony thinks Pepper and Bruce are having an  _affair_."

Loki's jaw dropped and had to take a second to collect himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing in deeply before turning to  _yell_ , yes yell, at Tony. "You insolent dolt! I truly believed you to be the most intelligent of the mortals, save Victor and my children, and yet you  _deign_ to prove me wrong in the most insulting of ways! An affair? By the Norns, you are denser than Clint! At least he would note the source of the problem!" The god reached over and gripped Tony by the nape of the neck and forced him down into a chair, himself moving to the other side so he could slam his hands down on the table and lean in to fix Tony with a terrifying glare, "Here, let me make this clear: You have us all worried sick - nervous wrecks I believe is the term - because you might be the reason we lose Pepper Potts."

"W-what?" Tony shrunk into his chair like a scolded child, the juicebox crushed in his hand not helping in the slightest.

"You and Bruce. The way you look at each other. The flirting, the cuddling, the way you work together flawlessly and act like the most immature married couple that I have ever had the displeasure of witnessing in all my centuries of life. All of this is wearing on the nerves of the two you love. You  _must_  choose, and soon. You might lose us our personal guardian angel-"

"Loki." The men in the room startled and turned to see Pepper, holding a teary-eyed Sarah. The girl turned to face Pepper.

"Are you really gonna leave us, Auntie Pepper?"

Everyone waited with bated breath before Pepper's emotionless face broke into a very gentle and loving smile. "I will never leave you fools as long as I live. I don't care if I'm married to Tony or not, I know you all need me, and I will do all I can to keep you safe. It's the least I can do - you're my family." With that she kissed Sarah's forehead. "I'm always here for you."

"Pepper…" Tony's brows drew into a pained furrow, before suddenly shooting up. "Wait, what's this about Bruce…?"

Pepper cocked her head, "Are you two… not… together?"

"...What?" Tony frowned. "I don't… Bruce is my  _best friend._ " He narrowed his eyes. "What… you guys…" His eyes widened in realization, "You thought we were in love?"

"Well…" Loki tilted his head. "Are you not?"

"I mean, I love the guy but not like that… Brucie's my best friend - not like Snowflake and the Capsicle were, but… I mean we're only friends."

"I told you idiots that." Bruce grumbled, entering the room. When they gave him a weird look, he pointed up, "JARVIS thought I should get in on this conversation."

Pepper frowned, "But the way you two are-"

"Friends." The two answered in tandem.

Everyone in the room, including Sarah, stared between the men in absolute confusion.

"Yeah…" Bruce sighed. "Sorry to disappoint, or whatever. Oh, by the way, Tony - we  _really_  need to finish up our Minesweeper match."

"Oh! Shit! Right!" Tony bolted up, "Gotta go!"

"Really? This moment?" Loki's eyebrow twitched, "You fools, this is something that must be talked out-"

"We set the stakes too high!" Tony and Bruce moved quickly away.

"What? What were the stakes?" Pepper frowned.

"If we don't finish in 48 hours, Nat  _may_ have programmed the puzzle to blow up a military satellite."

Loki rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm going back to work… Let me know when they're ready to act mature. If that is in my lifespan…" He seemed to annoyed to cast magic, and therefore just stomped out, time and effort wasted.

Pepper furrowed her brow and looked to Sarah, "How are we going to get you to adulthood with proper communication skills?"

"Beats me…" Bucky picked his coke back up and began to sip at it.

"Is Uncle Tony being fucking stupid?" Sarah asked.

Pepper was going to correct her, but then shrugged, "Yes, Sarah. He is."

"I can't believe you married him." Bucky moved into the living room, heading toward the puzzle on the coffee table. "Wanna chill with us tonight while we pray that Tony and Bruce don't cause millions of dollars in damage?"

"I would like that very much so." Pepper grinned.

* * *

The Avengers were all kicked back calmly in the meeting room on the top floor, waiting for the inevitable.

"I don't… I can't… Where to begin, even?" Steve stood before them, Captain Voice and Posture fully displayed. His eyes were closed, hand covering half his face, cheek ticking. "So let's start from the beginning. No- let's make a list.

"One." He lifted a forefinger, "Natasha thinks it will be great fun to program a bomb onto a  _billion-dollar_  piece of military spyware.

"Two." He lifted a second finger. "Bruce and Tony activate it by playing a minesweeper game. Exactly when Tony is supposed to be working on a project for the city of New York. That he was supposed to work on for the past three months.

"Three." He continued lifting his fingers to count off these problems, "Bruce and Tony  _abandon_  said program without notifying Nat. And then my husband is commandeered to make sure that the two finish said project, without notifying me.

"Four. Instead of dealing with an eminent threat after finishing his project and subsequent board meeting, Tony decides to take the night off to chat about some drama that was going on between him, Bruce, and Pepper, which was all just a huge misunderstanding.

"Five. Instead of notifying the Military, the occupants of this household - who, after some panic, all are now fully aware of what is going on - decide to ignore it by playing with a puzzle, training, doing whatever the hell you gods do with magic, or just simply watching to see if Tony and Bruce can actually defeat the game.

"Six. Natasha could unprogram the bomb- but decides not to.

"Seven. While Thor and I are out on patrol, I get a call from the US government saying there's been an attack on military property with the note ' _Sorry, Tony and Bruce suck at my awesome-ass minesweeper game. Love, Natasha.'_

"Eight. My daughter has apparently learned the word 'fucking.'

"I'm sure there is more that I'm not yet aware of, does anyone want to add anything?"

Tony raised his hand.

"Yes, Tony?"

"I want to propose as the ninth thing that Bucky spit Coke on me."

Bucky frowned and raised his hand, but without being called upon he said, "Ten. Tony is a fucking idiot who made me spit up a perfectly good drink all over myself and curse in front of my daughter."

Pepper raised her hand, adding her thoughts without being called upon either, "Eleven, the puzzle of Iron Man is entirely inaccurate. His suit is ill-represented in the graphics and now I have to go punish the Stark Industry's design board."

Bruce raised his hand, "Twelve. No one believed me when I said Tony and I were just friends. I think we have some trust issues here we need to work on."

Natasha raised her hand, "Thirteen. Our geniuses are getting rusty at their cognitive reasoning abilities. We need to work them out more."

Sarah raised her hand from where she sat beside Jane on the couch, "Fourteen. I haven't been told yet how you got frozen for a couple decades."

Clint raised his hand, "Fifteen. We're out of juiceboxes."

Sarah raised her hand again, "Sixteen. People keep drinking my apple juice, and I think you all just need to get your own. Not that I don't like sharing, but I need some for school."

Thor raised his hand, "Seventeen. We need to write these all up upon those computer interfaces and transfer said list through the printer of paper so we may rest the proclamation of problems upon the cooler of food."

Loki raised a hand, "Eighteen. My brother needs to learn to describe things by their correct names."

Victor raised a hand, "Nineteen. My wife needs to be less hypocritical when it comes to his brother."

Scarlet raised a hand, "Twenty. We're pissing off Steve with this."

At this they all turned to look at Steve, who was glaring them all down.

They went dead quiet and waited.

"You. All of you. Are to be grounded."

"Huh?" The way each Avenger tilted their head to the left in tandem would have been comical had Steve not been so enraged.

"You heard me. You're all grounded until further notice. No games, no programming, no hacking, no juiceboxes - nothing for two whole weeks. You are only to leave the tower to perform the community service the government was kind enough to let us off with. Is that understood? This means you'll be working soup kitchens, highway clean up, environmental testing, etc. etc. If theres a community service project - you are there and you are working it. Do you understand?"

"Yes…" All the Avengers looked down. Even the Evil League of Evil seemed a little chastised, looking to the side guiltily.

"Good. And Thor, good idea on the list-"

"Got it." Nat hit a button on the laptop she had resting on her knees. "It's printing now."

"Good. Then you all need to go to bed, you have a long couple weeks ahead of you."

The group groaned and grumpily retreated, save Sarah and Bucky, who waited for Steve to walk them back.

"You're in worse trouble than the others, Buck."

"I know."

"You taught my daughter a horrible word."

"I know."

"Do you know what your punishment is?"

"What?"

"You sleep on the couch."

"WHAT?!" Bucky's eyes widened, having expected something at least tolerable.

Sarah looked up at her parents with a cocked eyebrow, realizing that they were both overreacting just a tad. "You heard me. Couch."

"B-But Stevie-"

"Don't you Stevie me. I can handle expensive destruction of government property any day, what I'm really mad about is this. I  _told_  you no cursing around Sarah, but you did it anyway." The elevator opened to their level and they walked out. "We'll tell Sarah her goodnight story and then I go to the bed, you go to the couch."

"Oh… Okay."

* * *

Bucky lay pouting for an hour on the couch, missing Steve's warmth beside him. He kept resisting the urge to sneak into bed just yet, waiting until he could know for sure that Steve was asleep so he could tip-toe in. Hopefully he would be able to wake up before Steve did to tip-toe out once more in the morning. A half-hour later he heard Steve shuffle out into the living room, and Bucky feigned sleep.

However, he was surprised to find that Steve was sneaking onto the couch to snuggle with him - careful to try not to wake him. Bucky fought a cocky grin but failed when Steve moved to rest his bedhead - caused by over an hour of sleepless tossing and turning - on his chest. Smiling brightly down at the golden halo, Bucky moved to wrap the man in his arms, "Punk."

Steve stilled before punching his sternum playfully, "Jerk."

"Do you want to move to the bed?"

"No. I said you would sleep on the couch. I just never said I had to stay in bed without you…"

Shaking his head, Bucky kissed Steve on the forehead, "Sweet dreams, Stevie."

"Sweet dreams, Bucky."

 


	34. Ego

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry once again for how long this took. I promise to try to update a bit more frequently!

Bucky stood against a tree to the side of the playground with Loki, watching Sarah and Peter as the children explored the sandbox. It was unnerving for Bucky to see his daughter floating tendrils of sand around for practice, and while the exercise itself didn't phase Loki, it didn't go unnoticed that there was a frown etched into his features as his eyes trailed her movements. Peter, meanwhile, was entirely captivated by his friend's display of magic, clapping with enthusiasm, making Sarah blush bashfully - yet encouraging her at the same time.

"What is it?"

Loki gave him a small glance before blowing air through his nose in frustration. "Her magic."

"What about it?"

"Something's wrong. She's having issues channeling it, far more than she should. I'm afraid… No." He shook his head, "I'm sure it's nothing. It's probably her age."

Shrugging his shoulders back against the bark of the tree, Bucky growled, "Don't lie to me. I want to know every little suspicion you have. We discussed this when I let you be her mentor."

"Just you? Not you and Steve?"

"You know that was all me - and don't change the subject. What might be wrong with my little girl?"

Loki crossed his arms and drew a foot up to rest against the tree, tilting his head back to look at the green summer leaves and the sunlight playing through them. After a moment, he took a breath and huffed out, as if it pained him, "I am afraid that the ego stone is still somehow affecting her."

"How so?" Bucky flicked his eyes between the God and his daughter, as if he could somehow see the answer.

"I explained to you already the source of her magic, yes?"

"Yeah, the whole 'energy from others' thing?"

"Precisely. She's drawing the same amount of energy - more, even, as she ages - yet for some peculiar reason it's not all there when she redirects it… Entire portions of the energy she digests, for lack of a better word, is disappearing - and I know not where. The only possible explanation I can think of is that she's either losing complete control over her ability to direct the energy, or somehow she's still connected to the stone I removed from her."

"Where is the stone now?"

"It rests in Asgard, even though it is foolish to let it lie it so close to others of its kind. However, there is no other place to keep the damnable thing since the last residence for extra infinity stones was destroyed and the stone stolen. So far, Asgard is the only place strong enough to hold the things." He shrugged, "I intended to return as soon as I could in order to ascertain whether the stone is still pulling energy from Sarah - control your movements!" His expression grew stern as his voice raised so it would carry towards the children, "If you intend to do that spell, you must direct your left hand over your right in a counterclockwise flow, lest you perform it backwards!" Sarah immediately did as she was told, swirling heated balls of light around the sand, causing it to become glass. Turning back to Bucky, Loki nodded, "My apologies."

"No, it's completely fine." Bucky turned his gaze back to his daughter and a sad smile crossed his lips. "I just can't believe how much she's grown."

Sarah had begun to construct a glass circle that encased the balls of light so that the entire substance glowed dozens of shades of red and yellow, painting the area around it in it's ethereal light. At the comment, Loki nodded, "She's nearly ten."

"Don't remind me." Bucky shook his head.

"Have you and Steve planned your wedding date yet?" Loki seemed to just remember the fact as he glanced at Bucky's right hand, the engagement ring glinting in the light.

"No," Bucky shrugged, "Too busy most of the time, and we don't want to deal with all the publicity it will bring just yet."

"Mmm." Loki nodded, uncrossing his arms and standing up from the tree, long fingers brushing through his hair as he frowned at the way Sarah was bending the light into thin strands so that it was caught between the glass in elegant brushstrokes. "What are you doing…?" He mumbled, casually walking over to observe her spellcasting. Bucky followed, curious. "How did you do that only using this spell?"

"I just felt like it would work - you told me to move water this way, so I just focused on the water-like element in light. Uncle Tony told me about it, how the light moves in waves, so I just held on to that."

"Ah… Fascinating. I've never seen someone your age manage that with so simple a spell." He reached out to hold the finished product - a beautiful circular piece of glass, no larger than the palm of Loki's hand, that used the light trapped inside to bring the area around it to life in a strange, eerily beautiful manner. "I'm impressed, little creature."

"Thank you, Wogi!" She grinned.

"Here, keep this, we'll show your Mother when we get back home."

"Okay!" She grinned, holding the small piece close.

"Can I stay for dinner?" Peter asked shyly.

"You don't need to ask anymore, Peter," Bucky smiled, "You're always welcome."

"Truly. Your presence calms Sarah so that she can practice her magic better," Loki commented, brushing the sand from his knees where he'd knelt by the children, "You're not the nuisance I thought you would turn out to be."

"Thanks." Peter grinned up at the God, knowing by now that the words were one of the highest forms of praise Loki was capable of.

"Mm." The God trailed his eyes away, ignoring the boy. As they walked home in the late summer twilight, Sarah took Bucky's right hand in her left, smiling up at her father, and Peter's left hand in her right. Halfway home, the two children seemed to run out of steam, so Bucky lifted the boy onto his shoulders and held Sarah in his arms.

"You're getting too big for me to do this, Sarah." He teased, "You're going to be too heavy for me soon."

Loki rolled his eyes and looked away, trying to hide the small smile tilting his lips.

"Nuh-uh!" Peter leaned over Bucky's shoulders, smiling, "She's too tiny!"

"I am not tiny!" She pouted.

"But you are, little creature." Loki peered into Bucky's arms, where the girl was frowning, "I feel like a giant in comparison."

"You  _are_  a giant."

Loki smiled, "That I am." His skin slipped into a deep blue shade and his eyes burned red. "But it does not make you any less teensy-"

"Shut up, dumbass!" She growled.

"Sarah!" Steve's voice chimed in from far away. Immediately the girl shrunk into her father's chest, hiding.

"Uh-oh…"

"Oh dear, now look what you've done." Loki looked nonchalantly to where Steve was advancing from, "He must be furious. What if he sends Peter home?"

"No!" Both children cried.

"He's so cruel…" Loki sighed, "Too bad there's nothing I can do-"

"Wogi! Please make Mommy let Peter stay!" Sarah begged.

"I don't know, you hurt my feelings just seconds ago. Why should I help you, you ungrateful little monster?"

"But…" She whimpered as convincingly as possible, "I'm  _your_  ungrateful-little-monster-apprentice-thing."

Sighing as if it were almost too much for him to manage, he closed his eyes and nodded, "You are correct in this. I shall endeavor to stay your Mother's rage."

"Be quiet, Loki, I'm not sending Peter home." Steve grumbled, near enough now that he didn't have to shout. "Sarah, what have I told you about using those words?"

"That my aunts and uncles can use them, but I can't, and neither can Daddy…"

"Exactly. Was Daddy saying words like that today while I wasn't there?"

Bucky raised a brow at this, making a face over his daughter's head, mouthing, 'Daddy?'

Sarah, unaware of the silent exchange between her parents, shook her head vehemently, "No, he didn't. I just used the word 'cause Wogi was being really mean to me about my size."

"It's still unacceptable. Did you even apologize to Loki?"

"No…" She turned to Loki, "I'm very sorry…"

"Well," Loki let the blue bleed from his skin, returning to his Aesir disguise, "If you are sincere, then I have no choice but to graciously accept your apology."

"Thank you." She smiled shyly.

Steve grinned at the pair, "Alright let's go make some dinner - Sarah, what are you holding?"

"This? I made it for you with the new spell Loki's been teaching me!"

Loki interjected here, "I only taught her how to encase the light in glass, I did not, however, teach her to bend it in these elongated patterns. Your daughter is incredibly creative and her ability to play with spells is amazing for one her age. Were she Aesir or Elvish, I would say she could be a great craftsman."

"And what about being a human? What's that change about her skills?" Bucky asked as they began to move back toward the tower.

"She won't live nearly long enough to expand upon her ingenuity. By the time her mind is fully developed and capable of working in depth with crafting spells, she will only have so many years before it begins to deteriorate. It will mean nothing, almost."

While Bucky and Sarah were entirely unphased by this sudden and casually delivered insight into their mortality, Steve and Peter reacted unfavorably.

"What!? But Sarah is the very best-" Peter started.

"Lies." Sarah responded, her tone mimicking Loki.

"Very good, little creature." He reached over to pat her head.

She smiled proudly, though Steve growled, "Loki, we talked about this."

"Right, right… mortals, short lives, don't mention… What was that word you mortals use again, Winter?"

"Blah blah blah." Bucky answered casually.

"Yes, thank you. Blah blah blah." He waved his hand, "Or what not."

Steve's eyebrows descended over his gaze angrily, and the last softly spoken thing came from Sarah, "Wogi… I think you're in trouble."

* * *

Peter was bouncing happily near a confused Sarah, "I've never seen them really really fight like that!"

"They do it all the time. How haven't you seen it before?" She asked from their seat on the couch, watching Bucky patch Steve up and Victor gently calming his god while Loki fumed from the kitchen.

"I guess I was just never here at the right time…" The boy pouted sullenly. "Although I don't think it was nice of Loki to say those things about you…"

"Why?" Sarah blinked over at him. If she'd learned one thing growing up in the Avenger's household, it was how to accept the fact that any moment this life they lived could end, and that all of them had a time limit. She didn't really care that her's was shorter than Loki's or Victor's.

"Because…" Peter's eyes began to water in frustration, "You're beautiful and you're really really smart and I just don't think that it's fair you don't get to live longer than those who won't be able to do the things you can for everyone…" He kicked his legs in anger, unable to find all the words he needed to explain what he was feeling.

Sarah tilted her head to regard her friend, "Peter… Life isn't fair." She shrugged, the fact having been something she'd had ingrained in her very being by her family, and the idea that someone else didn't understand it was confusing to her.

Peter's gaze fell to her arm and flicked away, but Sarah's trained eyes caught the movement. It was the first time he'd ever done anything but praise her for how amazing her prosthetic limb was, and the implications of why he glanced at it now were clear. For some reason, Sarah felt a sharp pain in her chest and looked away, embarrassed. She tucked her hand into the pocket of her jacket. "Sarah…" He began, but his voice trailed off when he realized there was nothing that would fix this moment.

"...You wanna go to the garden?"

Peter looked over at his friend, seeing right through the false smile there. But he grinned back to make her feel like she'd succeeded in fooling him, nodding, "Sure!"

Steve and Loki were too distracted by their partner's lecturing them on good etiquette and not using so much violence in public to notice that the kids had wandered off. JARVIS was the only thing keeping an eye on the two, but his vigil over them was so constant that they often forgot of his existence. When the children reached the garden, they found themselves alone and wandered to one of the solitary benches on the roof, resting under a cherry tree. The tree belonged to Clint, surprisingly enough. Apparently on one of his missions he got stuck in an orchard full of them and it was one of the most relaxing weekends of his life.

Peter pondered this while he and Sarah looked up through the branches, but soon he found himself wondering what was going through Sarah's mind just then. "What are you thinking about?"

"...I'm listening."

"To what?" His voice quieted to a whisper and his ears strained.

"... Don't you hear that?" Her brows drew tighter and she seemed concerned.

"What?"

She looked up into his eyes, her words tentative, like one broaching a subject they knew could end up revealing something disastrous about themselves, "The singing?"

"..." Peter took a couple moments, trying very hard for his friend to hear something that wasn't there, but in the end he shook his head, "No. What is the singing like?"

"It's… A woman, I think. She's singing about…" Her eyes lowered to the ground. "She's trying to explain what infinity feels like."

The children stayed quiet for long moments before Peter whispered, "What's infinity like?"

"It's lonely. It's terrifying. It's boring…" Sarah curled up into Peter's side, "And it hurts. It hurts a lot."

By reaction, the boy wrapped his arms around his friend, as if he could protect her from the vastness of the universe with this one simple gesture, "Are you okay, Sarah? Should I get Loki?"

"No… I don't think he would want to hear about it…"

"Why not? He could help."

"I don't think he can…" She whispered, "I don't think anyone can make the singing stop… If she can't stop herself, we can't stop her either."

"What do you mean?"

"The lady singing. She doesn't want to continue on but can't die. She kept trying but she just can't."

"That's awful."

"Yeah…"

The children stayed curled up like that, unaware that as they drifted off to sleep, JARVIS had contacted Sarah's parents and Loki had teleported Victor to his library, where they began digging desperately through his many tomes.

As night fell over the city, and Steve and Bucky brought the two weary children in from the darkness, Loki stilled with a very small, worn journal in his hands. Victor rushed over as the God carefully flicked through the pages with a tense expression. When he found the page he was looking for, Victor turned around and walked a few steps, scrubbing a hand over his face, trying to cope with what was happening.

As the Avengers tucked in the children - they had a bunch of blankets laid out on the floor, knowing that the two often wore themselves out so much that they fell asleep, a play-date inadvertently turning into a sleep over - Loki sat down, his hands covering his face as he tried to make sense of what was occurring. After a moment, he picked up the book and took Victor by the hand to return to the Avengers tower.

When they teleported into the main floor, Steve and Bucky had just entered the room. "What is it, what's wrong?" Were the first words out of Bucky's mouth.

All the Avengers, who had been spending a relaxing night in the common area, turned to look. Frigga, spending the weekend there, stilled when she realized the lost look on her son's face. "Loki?"

"Nemesis." Frigga's eyes widened and she gripped the book she'd been reading tighter. "The Ego Stone is Nemesis and she's still connected to Sarah.

Steve closed his eyes, trying to regain his calm for one second before he turned and kicked a table, sending it flying, "Why the fuck does this keep happening to my child!?"

The room stayed silent in the aftermath, each person regarding the shattered table instead of each other.


End file.
